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. Its people range in age from youngsters to grandparents. Most are just folks 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. All of these folks gather together, each year, for Field Day.
Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.
Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, fun.
It’s a time where many aspects of amateur radio come together to highlight operators’ many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It’s an excellent opportunity to demonstrate amateur radio to the organizations that it might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public.
We use these same skills when we help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers, such as walk-a-thons; celebrations, such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls and museums. These are all large, preplanned and non-emergency activities.
But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems—or maybe because they’re so complex—ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications in crises when it really matters. Amateur radio people—also called “hams”—are well known for our communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations.
ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.
The Cumberland Plateau Radio Club will be hosting their local field day on the weekend of June 23 and 24 at Homestead Elementary School on Hwy. 127, just south of Crossville. The public is encouraged to come out and enjoy the festivities, and to get involved with these communications.
Visit CPARC.net for more information.