For the City Times

Santa and Mrs. Claus will take the airwaves during the Rudolph Country Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 12 thanks to local ham radio operators.

The Clauses will be available from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM on the 146.790 amateur radio repeater. Those listening with radio scanners can listen in to Santa and Mrs. Claus talk to children about their Christmas wishes.

This is the second year the Mid-State Repeater Association of Wood County and the Central Wisconsin Radio Amateurs of Portage County have teamed up to bring Santa to the radio.

The amateur radio operators will be on site at Rudolph Country Christmas wearing bright green vests. Find a radio operator and you’ll be able to reach Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Amateur radio will be demonstrated at the event from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM inside the Rudolph Fire Station. The radio stations will be set up immediately inside the main entrance to the event area. Visitors can learn how ham radio operators contact others around the country and world.

Those interested can also talk on the radios and learn how to become a ham radio operator and communicate with the others.

The radio operators have secured the radio call signal K9C, issued by the Federal Communications Commission, to be used for Country Christmas In Rudolph.

The Rudolph Fire Department is located at 1559 Main St.

Country Christmas runs throughout the town of Rudolph and begins at 9:00 AM and finishes following the parade at 5:15 PM.