W8USR - Special Events

Celebrating the Troy Strawberry Festival

The Special Event

On June 7, 1992, there was an amateur radio special event hosted by the Miami County Amateur Radio Club (MCARC) using their club callsign W8FW. It took place at the Troy Strawberry Festival in Troy, Ohio. Radio operations took place at the radio club's official field station live from the festival grounds. The purpose of the event was to demonstrate amateur radio capabilities to the public, promote the hobby, and allow operators around the world to contact a unique commemorative station.

I made contact with them in the morning just as the festival gates were opening for the final day. I chose the 40 meter band from among the choices offered in the announcement because 40 meters provides excellent "NVIS" (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) propagation during the early afternoon, it is often the perfect band choice for regional operators across Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.

Operator Spotlight

The Operator's name from my logbook was "Bill." I believe it was William Schmid (WD8LOI), who still serves as a key club officer and trustee today in 2026. For decades, Bill has worn almost every operational hat possible for the MCARC. He has historically served a dual role as both the Secretary and the Treasurer for the club. Bill is the official Trustee for the W8SWS repeater system (147.21 MHz), ensuring that local hams in Miami County always have a reliable VHF line of communication for emergency services and daily chatter.

A Short History of the Festival

The Troy Strawberry Festival officially started in June 1977 as the brainchild of local leaders from the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce. The planning group was guided and energized by Stephen Hamilton, a Troy native who served as the very first General Chair of the inaugural event. Interestingly, the organizers initially debated a few different themes—including a "Sweet Corn" festival—before strawberries won the vote. The deciding factor was Fulton Farms, located just outside Troy, which housed the largest strawberry patch east of the Mississippi River.

Rather than just a celebration of the fruit, the festival was explicitly founded to serve as a massive community fundraiser. Hamilton and the committee wanted an event that would draw on the talents of local residents to raise money for non-profit organizations, civic clubs, and local charities. To this day, the festival holds tightly to that core mission: all of its popular food booths are operated by local Miami County charities and school groups, using strawberry treats to fund their community projects for the entire year.

The festival marks the official kickoff of the summer harvest season in Miami County and has grown immensely from its humble roots along the banks of the Great Miami River. What began as a modest town gathering has evolved into one of the largest and most celebrated festivals in the Midwest. Today, it regularly draws over 200,000 visitors every year on the first full weekend of June. Guests flood the historic downtown square and river levees to enjoy live music, pageants, and iconic local delicacies like the famous strawberry donuts.

Station Log: Contact History

Date / Year	Special Event Call	My Callsign Used	Time (UTC)	Frequency	Band	Mode	Operator's Name
June 7, 1992	W8FW	N8SWQ	14:02 UTC	7.243 MHz	40 Meters	SSB	Bill