Photos by ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

John Carroll (right) uses Morse code to find other ham radio operators on his frequency, while Charlie Draper logs radio communications during the Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club's Field Day in Daleville.

Field Day, an annual exercise across the country, is an opportunity for ham radio operators to test their ability to relay information.

DALEVILLE -- Of the 3,077 counties across the United States, Jerry Haislip has contacted a fellow ham radio operator in all but nine.

Four of the counties Haislip is still trying to reach are in Idaho. If he's going to complete his national sweep -- a goal he's been pursuing since 1991 -- Haislip figures he'll have to contact someone on a mobile unit.

"Some of those counties in Idaho don't have anything but cows and trees," he said.

For amateur radio enthusiasts as dedicated as Haislip, last weekend offered the perfect opportunity to binge.

In a meadow near Daleville, members of the Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club erected a makeshift antenna tower, fired up a gas-powered generator and manned radio equipment set up in campers and under tents.

Their mission: To contact as many places in the United States and Canada as possible within 24 hours.

Known as Field Day, the annual exercise takes place across the country on the fourth weekend of June. The idea is to test the ability of ham radio operators to relay information during emergencies.

Working the airwaves nonstop from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday, the club was expected to reach more than 2,000 members of the emergency contact network.

Ham radio operators have long been known for their knack in reaching areas cut off from communication by floods, hurricanes, earthquakes or other natural disasters.

They also stand by closer to home, ready to assist local police and rescue agencies should their communication systems fail.

Public service is what appeals to most ham radio operators, said Ron Ramsey, president of the Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club. But there's also the allure of chatting with like-minded people, no matter where they might be.

"When I key the mike and call CQ [a general call to anyone] I may get Australia or I may get Floyd County," Ramsey said. "It just fascinates me that I can talk from that distance to somebody on just a little piece of wire."

The result is a close-knit community of people, well-versed in the technical jargon of their field and who are likely to refer to themselves by the call signals issued to them by the Federal Communications Commission.

For Ramsey that would be AB4A; Haislip goes by K1SO.

"That's what they know me by," Haislip said. "They may not know my name, but they know what my call signal is."

Online: www.w4ca.us.