Local amateur radio ‘hams’ will join 35,000 others for annual ‘Field Day’

Posted on June 10, 2020

Local amateur enthusiasts will take part in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day planned Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28 – joining more than 35,000 radio amateurs from across the country and Canada.

Taylor County ham radio operators will gather at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the event.

“Field Day is a time where many aspects of amateur radio come together to highlight its many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how amateur radio might serve in an emergency,” organizers said.

ARRL is the national association for amateur radio in the United States, representing more than 170,000 FCC-licensed amateurs.

Often called “ham radio,” the amateur radio service has been around for a century. In that time, it’s grown into a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. Operators range in age from youngsters to grandparents. Most, however, are individuals who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data and pictures through the air to unusual places, both near and far, without depending on commercial systems.

The amateur radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications.