Lighthouse, ham radio operators ready for big weekend
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Oak Orchard Lighthouse will be part of International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend, where ham radio operators communicate with each other at lighthouses throughout the world.
POINT BREEZE – Ham radio operators will be communicating with each other at lighthouses throughout the world this weekend, including at the Oak Orchard Lighthouse at Point Breeze.
The lighthouse and Orleans County Amateur Radio Club are partnering in the International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Ham radio operators will be there from 8 a.m. to at least 5 p.m. on both days.
The event is open to the public and connects ham radio operators from around the globe. This will be the fourth time the local groups have joined for the event.
Last year, local amateur radio club made 350 international and domestic contacts during the lighthouse weekend.
The Oak Orchard Lighthouse was built in 2010 as a replica of a lighthouse from 1871. That structure was abandoned by the federal government in the early 1900s. The original lighthouse toppled in a 1916 winter storm.
The lighthouse has about 2,500 visitors sign its guest book each year when the building is open.
