Tune In This Saturday: Hoosier Hills Ham Club Brings Radios, Foxhunts & Gus Grissom Magic to Spring Mill
Lawrence County’s own astronaut hero is getting the full local treatment this weekend — and the Hoosier Hills Ham Club is making sure the airwaves are part of the celebration.
This Saturday during Grissom Days, the club will set up a full special-event station under their memorial callsign W9GUS right at the Sycamore Shelter. Visitors of all ages can stop by, learn the ropes of amateur radio, try free walking transmitter hunts (aka “foxhunts”), and even help make real contacts with other hams across the country and beyond.
What’s Happening at the Shelter
The club is running a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation of Spring Mill State Park (US-2269) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. That means:
- Hands-on demos of radios and antennas
- Free walking transmitter hunts — perfect for kids and adults who like a little scavenger-hunt energy
- Chance to sit down at the mic (or key) and help make contacts under the W9GUS callsign
- Friendly club members ready to answer every “how does this even work?” question
No license needed to participate or just watch. The whole setup is designed for families, curious kids, and anyone who has ever wondered how people talk around the world without cell towers.
Why W9GUS?
W9GUS is the club’s special memorial callsign honoring Mitchell native Virgil “Gus” Grissom — Mercury astronaut, second American in space, and one of the original seven. The Hoosier Hills Ham Club (club call W9QYQ) has used the call for Grissom Day special events for years. It’s a perfect local mash-up: pioneer village history meets space-age radio.
Full Grissom Day Fun Around the Park
While you’re there for the radios, the park has a packed family-friendly schedule at the same shelter and nearby:
- Space activity table (crafts & games) all morning
- Stomp-rocket and water-bottle rocket contests
- Freeze-dried “space ice cream” tasting
- Rocket building with the Count Down Cardinals (kits available)
- Guided tours of the Grissom Memorial (extra artifacts on display)
- Evening rocket launches and stargazing
Practical Details
- When: Saturday, July 18, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (club station)
- Where: Sycamore Shelter, Spring Mill State Park (east end of the Pioneer Village parking lot)
- Cost: Free to visit the ham station. Normal park entrance fees apply ($7 Indiana plates / $9 out-of-state).
- Who: Everyone. Kids, families, radio newbies, and longtime hams all welcome.
The Hoosier Hills Ham Club has been serving south-central Indiana since 1955 and is known for its friendly vibe, monthly foxhunts, and big annual hamfest every October. This weekend they’re “evangelizing” the hobby the best way possible — by letting people try it themselves.
So grab the kids, pack a picnic, and head to Spring Mill this Saturday. You might leave with a new hobby, a cool contact card, or just the memory of hunting a hidden radio in the woods on a beautiful July day.
More info • Club site: w9qyq.org • Park event page: search “Grissom Day” on events.in.gov • Questions: president@w9qyq.org
See you on the air (and in the park)! 73 — lawco.news
Optional short social teaser version (for FB/X/lawco socials):
📻 This Saturday at Spring Mill! Hoosier Hills Ham Club is running W9GUS for Grissom Days — free walking transmitter hunts, hands-on radio demos, and a chance for kids (and adults) to make real contacts. 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at Sycamore Shelter. Perfect family activity. Full story on lawco.news 🚀