Amateur Radio Field
Day to highlight skills
GORHAM — The Wireless Society of Southern Maine will put their radio skills on display as they participate in Amateur Radio Field Day June 27-28 at Wassamki Springs Campground in Scarborough.
“Field Day is an emergency preparedness exercise, but it is also a contest for fun, where we accumulate points and test and compare our operating skills with other clubs and individuals around the U.S. and Canada,” said club President Cindy Shepard.
During the event, participants will try to earn points by meeting specific goals as outlined by the American Radio Relay League. Some of these include handling and delivering messages, and making contacts with other amateurs through various methods, such as voice, telegraphy, satellites, and digital technology.
Field Day, which has taken place annually since 1933, is designed to test radio operators’ ability to quickly setup and operate portable stations in emergency conditions.
“The entire operation will exclusively use emergency power sources like batteries, or solar energy, in order to simulate how things would be during a catastrophic event,” said club member, Thom Watson, of Gorham. “Communities should know that in the event of an actual emergency, we are ready to assist in any way that we can. While people may have the impression that cell phones and other technologies have replaced ham radio, we stand by as a trained pool of experienced radio operators to provide the vital communication services others may not. Hams have provided emergency communications during hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, blackouts, and other disasters, where more complex and fragile communications systems, such as cell networks, have failed or become overloaded.”
The event takes place over 24 hours, beginning at noon on Saturday, June 28.
“One of the highlights of last year’s Field Day was contacting astronauts aboard the International Space Station,” said Shepard. “There were visitors here at the time, and they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. It really sparked their interest in amateur radio.”
More information about Field Day and amateur radio is available at www.mainehamradio.com.
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