Calling from Wisconsin parks: Ham radio operators make connections (Wisconsin)

“Whiskey, nine, alpha, victor!” Headset on, alert and leaned in, Clint Sprott calls out the words quickly and clearly from his home office in Madison. 

There is silence for a beat. Then Sprott receives a response: “Whiskey, nine, alpha, victor … five-seven, central Texas.”

W9AV is Sprott’s call sign, or how he can be uniquely identified when broadcasting on the radio waves. The phrase “five-seven” means the operator on the receiving end, in this case from Texas, can hear him OK.

Sprott is something of a University of Wisconsin-Madison celebrity. He’s an emeritus professor of physics known for the school’s annual Wonders of Physics show, which he started in 1984.

Read more – CapTimes: https://bit.ly/4vaQOf9