Amateur radio operator Scott Richardson of Berwick communicates Thursday with another operator in San Marino, Italy from a picnic table at Range Pond State Park in Poland. Richardson said portable equipment allows him to communicate from parks throughout Maine through the Parks on the Air program and from the tops of mountains through Summits on the Air. “It’s a very diverse hobby,” he said of being a ham radio operator. “It has captivated me since I was a kid.” Richardson said his grandfather sparked his interest in amateur radio. “It was interesting to me that my grandfather could talk to people all over the world.” The antenna in the foreground sends signals to satellites that are orbiting the Earth at 17,000 mph. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

Ham radio operator Scott Richardson of Berwick keeps notes Thursday of who he has contacted with from Range Pond State Park in Poland. Richardson said he communicated other amateur radio operators in Alabama, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Novia Scotia, Latvia and San Marino, Italy. “There is always a good chance that you can talk to somebody,” he said. “Whether or not you can talk to who you want to is a different story.” Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo


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