Local Amateur Radio Operators Prepair For Annual Field Day Event

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Local Amateur Radio operators, or better known as Ham Radio operators, are getting ready for the annual Field Day event this weekend, and you?re invited.

What is Field Day you ask, well it?s many things.

Field Day is a nation wide contest, an emergency preparedness exercise, a public relations demonstration, and a great way for people to have a lot of fun.

Ham Radio operators all over the U.S. and Canada set up all kinds of radio communication equipment with out the use of commercial power for a 24 hour period. In that 24 hours they contact, or talk to, as many other hams as they can and each ?contact? equals a point or two. After the 24 hours is up, one group of ham radio operators will be the winner of the contest, but that is not all this event is for.? It?s also a way for the public to get introduced to ham radio and see what it?s all about, and it serves as a disaster exercise too.

If a large scale disaster ever happened somewhere and knocked out power, phone, internet, and other forms of commercial communication services, how would you or your local government communicate to people? Ham radio! Hams are well trained in disaster communications and are often called upon in a disaster to provide emergency communications locally and all over the world.

The annual nation wide Field Day event is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League and always happens on the last full weekend in June, which is this year is June 23 & 24. Think of it as the Olympic games of ham radio!

Many ham radio clubs and individuals participate in the event each year, including some right here in Central Illinois. Here are a few local clubs that will be participating in this years event.

• The PALS Repeater Group ? event held at Jubilee College State Park

• The Peoria Area Amateur Radio Club ? event held at Wildlife Prairie Park

• Tazewell County Amateur Radio Club ? event held at Tazewell County EOC, Tremont

• Fulton County Amateur Radio Club

For more information on the Field Day locations of these groups, click on the ARRL Field Day locator link HERE. The public is welcome and encouraged to stop by any of these Field Day locations and see what?s going on. There?s always a lot to see and learn and you could even make a few ?contacts? on the radio yourself!

Hope you make it to a Field Day event near you!

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