Operators Hamming It Up in Cary

Ham radio operators were having a field day today in Bond Park, but it wasn't all fun and games.

Members of theCary Amateur Radio Clubhave been camping out over a 24-hour period.

They are putting their skills up against other ham radio clubs around the country and Canada. Their mission was to operate under simulated emergency conditions, such as a hurricane.

"We talk to other hams across the state and get real-time reports. When telephone lines are down, when cellular lines are down, it's our eyes. We're the eyes and ears of emergency management," Bob Lukaszewski explained.

The Cary Amateur Radio club wants to duplicate last year's success. The club finished first out of 280 ham radio clubs.