For 75 years, amateur radio operators across the country have been providing emergency communications when other systems failed or overloaded in a crisis.
Each year they take their equipment into unusual locations to test and make sure ham radio will always be there to get the message through. This year is the 75th annual Field Day, as thousands of ham radio operators will be showing off their emergency capabilities this weekend.
During Hurricane Katrina, amateur radio–often called ham radio–was frequently the only way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer “hams” traveled south to save lives and property.
When trouble is brewing, ham radio people are often the first to provide critical information and communications.
On Saturday and Sunday, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with these ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is all about.
Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the country will be hosting public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.
This annual event, called Field Day, is the climax of the week long Amateur Radio Week, sponsored by the nonprofit National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL). Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country.
Their slogan, “Ham radio works when other systems don’t,” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, the Internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis.
More than 30,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.
“We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather’s radio anymore,” said Allen Pitts of the ARRL. “The communications networks that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives in the past months when other systems failed or were overloaded.”
In the Long Beach area, the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach will be demonstrating amateur radio at El Dorado Regional Park Saturday and Sunday. They are inviting the public to come and see ham radio’s capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.
For more information, call the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach chairman Dennis Kidder at (562) 858-2883.
The United Radio Amateur Club is also holding its own demonstration at Angels Gate Park, 3601 South Gaffey Street in San Pedro on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information contact Doug Dowds at (310) 548-7618.
