Al Houston, a member of North Hills Amateur Radio Club, communicates with his ham radio at his house in Mars. Houston is the chairman of the club's Mars New Year project.

ADAMS TWP — The North Hills Amateur Radio Club will hold a bigger, better demonstration of their craft in the pavilion at the Mars Train Station property during Mars New Year festival May 4 to 6.

Mars resident Al Houston is the chairman of the club's Mars New Year project, and he is excited to incorporate the use of ham radios into the scientific theme of the event.

The club had a booth at the last Mars New Year, and it plans to improve and enhance the display in May.

“We thought 'Boy, this time, we're going to come back and do a really nice job,'” Houston said.

He said many astronauts and cosmonauts are ham radio operators and use their radios in space,

“They have a more personal way of communicating back to Earth without going through Mission Control,” Houston said.

He explained that the members of the North Hills Amateur Radio Club mostly use small, hand-held radio units to communicate with other ham radio enthusiasts all over the world.

Ham radio operators must pass a test and become licensed through the Federal Communications Commission, Houston said.

He said those who communicate with other operators discuss weather, equipment, local occurrences and other subjects.

Houston is fascinated with international Morse Code and still uses the method of dots and dashes to talk to other radio operators in the South Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean, Thailand and Japan.

“It's the first digital language,” Houston said.

Others use what is known as “single sideband,” which is communicating with the voice.

Ham radios, Houston said, can also be used in emergency situations when other communications are not available.

At the Mars New Year, the radio club will attempt traditional high-frequency contacts to stations all over the world using a trailer with a 40-foot antenna. Club members will describe the process of reaching other stations.

At the 2015 Mars New Year, the club was able to communicate with a station in Japan.

“It's not a simple thing of just pushing a switch,” Houston said. “There's a skill that you have to build up to be able to do it.”

He said he hopes a club member has a current radio-building project that can be displayed at Mars New Year.

“A lot of people are fascinated with building radios,” said Houston. “These days, a lot of that is based around digital communications.”

Houston hopes those attending the 2017 Mars New Year will stop at the radio club's display to chat with members about ham radio operation.

“I'm excited about promoting Mars,” Houston said. “I love the town.”