Amateur radio club members take a look at a radio outside.
In addition to learning how to communicate in case of emergency, the amateur radio club has provided a positive educational community. Photo: Evan Hancock.
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Salt Lake Amateur Radio Club: DIY Festival STEM Exhibitor

By
July 31, 2024

Community

The 16th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons will feature over 500 local creatives this year, from artisans, vintage vendors and craft foodies to youth entrepreneurs, STEM exhibitors and performers. Get a taste of what’s coming to the Utah State Fairpark this August in the following pages and get tickets to experience it yourself at craftlakecity.com. With a dog park, VIP lounge, a national headlining musician and brand-new DIY Fest After Dark programming, this year’s festival is not to be missed!

Mike McAinsh has been involved in the Salt Lake Crossroads Amateur Radio Club since 2017 and is a special events co-producer and net control operator. The main purpose of the club, McAinsh says, is “to provide communications in emergencies” as the group is heavily integrated into the Utah Department of Public Safety.

Ham Radio club poses with equipment
The radio club’s main purpose is to learn to communicate in case of an emergency, a lost art in today’s modern age. Photo: Evan Hancock

According to McAinsh, a net control operator is a “ham” who moderates a net (a meeting on the airwaves) in order to keep chaos to a minimum. A net is a group of hams with a special purpose. The net control operator directs traffic during the net, which allows many stations to use the same frequency without bumping into each other for these gatherings over the air.

“An amateur radio club helps an operator to grow in the hobby among like-minded individuals,” McAinsh says. “We can share our knowledge and experiences with—and learn from—others.”

The station collaborates with commercial and community radio and TV stations, although it operates under its own radio call sign, K7XRD. Amateur radio operators volunteer their time to serve the community of Salt Lake City.

At DIY Fest, the club’s booth will have a “Get On The Air” station where festival attendees can experience radio for themselves. “Ham radio involves cutting-edge technology, inspiring DIY projects and innovation,” he says. “We want to spread the word that ham radio is a great hobby for people who like to experiment.” For more information, visit ​​slcarc.com.

Read past DIY Fest STEM exhibitor features here: 
Micky Makes: DIY Festival STEM exhibitor 
Krado: DIY Festival STEM Exhibitor