Ham radio operators from the Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) will be participating in a national amateur radio exercise using our club callsign K8BF from 2 pm on Saturday until 2 pm on Sunday, June 22 – 23. The event is ARRL Field Day ( www.arrl.org/FieldDay ), an annual amateur radio activity organized since 1933 by ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio in the United States.
You are invited to see first hand how the Ham from PCARS set up emergency communications stations and make contacts by radio all over the United States and Canada. Our operators will be using voice, Morse code and digital modes when on the air. PCARS will be set up at the Freedom Township Community Park located at the corner of Streeter Road and State Route 700 in Freedom Township. If you are interested, our Get On The Air station will assist you in making a radio contact as well.
Hams from across North America ordinarily participate in Field Day by establishing temporary ham radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their skill and service. Their use of radio signals, which reach beyond borders, bring people together while providing essential communication in the service of communities. Field Day highlights ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent, wireless communications network. Our motto is “When All Else Fails – Amateur Radio works”. We are an essential part of emergency communications when the need arises. Hams have the knowledge, equipment and ability to set up stations to allow essential communications between local, county, state and federal emergency operations when needed.
This year’s event is also noteworthy given that a particularly active hurricane season is predicted. “Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers.” said Tony Romito, WA8AR (PCARS Field Day Chairman). “Ham radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems and a station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.” Romito added.
Some hams from Portage and surrounding counties will also use the radio stations set up in their homes or taken to their backyards and other locations to operate individually or with their families. Many hams have portable radio communication capability that includes alternative energy sources such as generators, solar panels, and batteries to power their equipment.
During Field Day 2023, more than 30,000 hams participated from thousands of locations across North America. According to ARRL, there are more than 750,000 amateur radio licensees in the US, and an estimated 3 million worldwide.
Among the tenets of the Amateur Radio Service is developing and practicing skills in radio technology and radio communications, and even contributing to international goodwill. Hams range in age from as young as 9 to older than 100.
For more information about ARRL Field Day and ham radio, contact Tom Parkinson, KB8UUZ@gmail.com or visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio and PCARS at www.portcars.org .
