The Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club-ham radio-is inviting all local amateur operators to join the field day activities starting about 1 p.m. Friday, June 23, and ending at noon Sunday at the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds in Brainerd.
The club will have radios set up in the ECOM Trailer to operate the Club Station or operators are invited to bring their own antenna and equipment and see how well their portable station will work.
Participants can camp overnight or just come for the day.
Those who are bringing their own antenna are encouraged to enter the second annual field day antenna contest. In addition to amateur operators, the public is also invited to learn more about ham radio operators, the technology and the community.
The American Radio Relay League is the national association for Amateur Radio in the U.S. representing more than 171,000 Federal Communications Commission-licensed amateurs.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Often called ham radio, the Amateur Radio Service has been around for a century," the association reported on its website. "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. Even rocket scientists and a rock star or two are in the ham ranks."
But most of the ham radio operators are regular folks who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data, pictures through the air to unusual places, both near and far, without depending on commercial systems, the association reported.
Field day is the fourth weekend of June of each year. More than 35,000 radio amateurs are expected to gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.
"Field day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, fun!" the association stated. "It is a time where many aspects of amateur radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate amateur radio to the organizations that amateur radio 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; fundraisers such as walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls and museums-these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities. But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems-or maybe because they are so complex-ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications in crises when it really matters."
For the field day in Brainerd, Saturday includes an 8 a.m. breakfast at the Northwind Grille in downtown Brainerd followed by a 9:30 a.m. set up of the communications trailer and installation of antennas as well as a check of radios and support equipment.
At 11 a.m. Saturday there will be amateur radio license exam testing. Field day operations start at 1 p.m. Saturday followed by a potluck supper on site at 5:30 p.m. Field day operations continue through noon Sunday.
Go to brainerdham.org for more information.
