Ham radio operators from Wood County ARES/RACES in Wisconsin Rapids will be participating in a national amateur radio exercise from 1 p.m. on Saturday until 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 27-28.
The event is ARRL Field Day (www.arrl.org/Field-Day), an annual amateur radio activity organized since 1933 by ARRL, the national association for amateur radio in the United States. Hams from across North America ordinarily participate in Field Day by establishing temporary ham radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their skill and service.
Their use of radio signals, which reach beyond borders, bring people together while providing essential communication in the service of communities. Field Day highlights ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent, wireless communications network.
This year’s event is also noteworthy given that a particularly active hurricane season is predicted. “Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers,” said Michael Krohn, Wood County ARES/RACES Emergency Coordinator, W9BBF.
“Ham radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems and a station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others,” Krohn added.
During Field Day 2024, more than 26,000 hams participated from thousands of locations across North America. According to ARRL, there are more than 750,000 amateur radio licensees in the US, and an estimated 3 million worldwide.
Locally, Wood County ARES/RACES has been designated as a “Strike Team” for communications by Wisconsin Emergency Management due to their extensive training and experience, and have some of the only people in the state of Wisconsin who have achieved state recognized AUXCOMM operators among its ranks.
Wood County ARES/RACES will be operating at United Emergency Medical Response in Wisconsin Rapids for the event. The designated time for media and invited officials to attend is Saturday, June 27 from 3-6 p.m. As of the time of this release being sent, we have not confirmed any attending dignitaries. Many are invited.
Among the tenets of the Amateur Radio Service is developing and practicing skills in radio technology and radio communications, and even contributing to international goodwill. Hams range in age from as young as 6-7 to older than 100.
A self-study license guide is available from the American Radio Relay League as well as apps and websites such as hamstudy.org that can help with studying. For more information about ARRL Field Day and ham radio, contact Wood County ARES/RACES on Facebook @WoodCoARESRACES or by email at w9wca.aresraces@gmail.com and visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.
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