(Posted May 30, 2023)
The Madison County Amateur Radio Club will participate in a national emergency communications preparedness exercise on June 24-25. The exercise, known as Field Day, involves setting up and operating emergency radio communications using amateur (ham) radio to communicate with similar operations throughout the country.
The club will conduct its 2023 Field Day operations at the Deercreek Township Hall, 75 Middle St., Lafayette, beginning at 2 p.m. June 24 and operating for up to 24 hours, concluding at 2 p.m. June 25.
Operations will include digital messaging, as well as voice and Morse Code communications. The Madison County club members will demonstrate the “magic” of ham radio by contacting hams across the country while using wire antennas, low power radios and emergency power.
The public is invited to come and see modern amateur radio technology in action and learn about this exciting hobby. Club members will be available to
answer questions, provide literature, and help visitors get on the air. Best visiting times are 2-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.
Field Day is sponsored by ARRL, the national association for amateur radio, and has been an annual event since 1933. This year’s operations are expected to involve more than 40,000 ham radio operators from across North America.
Often using only emergency power, ham operators construct and operate emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools, and backyards around the country. Their slogan, “When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works,” is demonstrated by hams who can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, Internet, or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. The event combines public service, emergency preparedness, communityoutreach, and technical skills.
Modern amateur radio is a fast-growing hobby, and there are now nearly 28,000 licensed amateurs in Ohio, more than 750,000 in the United States, and more than 2.5 million worldwide. Through ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, volunteers provide emergency communication for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies and non-emergency communications services to a wide variety of community and civic organizations, all without cost to the public.
To learn more about the Madison County Amateur Radio Club, go to http://mcarcoh.org/. To learn more about Field Day, go to http://www.arrl.org/field-day.
