Local amateur radio operators participating in ARRL Field Day events
The Somerset County Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the 2024 ARRL Field Day operations in front of the Founders Hall Building near the entrance to the Somerset County Library. The event starts at 2 p.m. June 22, and runs through 2 p.m. June 23.
Amateur radio operators across North America will participate in field day events to activate equipment and technologies they use daily. The event will feature amateur radio demonstrations of the science, skills and service.
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"We plan to operate for 24 hours making contacts with as many other amateur radio stations as possible, mostly in North America, however, they could be anywhere in the world," said Jim Crowley, chairman of the Somerset County Amateur Radio Club on-the-air activities committee, in an email. "We also have a station called a 'GOTA (Get On The Air) station' we can allow anyone to operate and contact hams from North America or the world, with our guidance. We will be providing assistance with questions anyone may have. We have a person acting as a 'greeter' to assist everyone."
What is amateur radio?
Often called “ham radio,” the Amateur Radio Service has been around for more than a century. ARRL stands for "Amateur Radio Relay League," the largest promoter of amateur radio in the USA. Amateur radio operators can communicate with other licensed amateurs all over the world. Amateur radio is used in some ships, airplanes, and even including scientific expeditions in Antarctica and on the International Space Station, according to Crowley in a press release.
It’s grown into a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology, he said. Operators range from youngsters to grandparents. Most operators are folks who enjoy learning and being able to transmit and receive voice, data and pictures through the air to unusual places, without depending on commercial systems, he said.
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Amateurs are often called into action to provide communications in crises – in Somerset County, the 1984 Glencoe flood, the tornados of 1998, and Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, are prime examples, Crowley said. Many of the members volunteer to serve with the Somerset County Department of Emergency Services including the Emergency Management Agency as an Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) team providing emergency communications when needed.
Field day is popular
The ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the United States and Canada, Crowley said. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 45,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or friends to operate from remote locations. It is a time when amateur radio operators use this opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities and it is an opportunity to demonstrate amateur radio to the public and organizations they might serve in an emergency.
"We hope that once they hear the stations we are contacting and/or the stations they will contact if they choose to use the dedicated GOTA station, the 'bug' will bite and they will want more," Crowley said. "Also, our 'greeter' can answer any questions they may have about getting started into the hobby."
Aspects to being ham operators
As a newly licensed operator, there are so many different aspects to the hobby that will keep the participant's attention and there are always new technologies popping up with new ways of using amateur radio, Crowley said.
The amateur radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where the operator develops and experiments with wireless communications. Ham radio operators can make and modify their equipment and create new ways to do things in the hobby, he said.
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"We have been able to provide much information to those that have come to our events. To obtain a license, the individual must study for an exam," Crowley said. "The entrance class of license is the Technician class. Once you pass that exam you will receive a license from the Federal Communications Commission. Our club is part of the ARRL Volunteer Examiner program and has members who are certified volunteer examiners making up a VE team."
He said the VE team schedules the exams throughout the year. There are other clubs in nearby counties and states that also participate in the VE program, Crowley said.
Somerset County's club
The Somerset County Amateur Radio Club is a nonprofit organization promoting amateur radio as a hobby, emergency communications services, advanced radio education and FCC exam testing, Crowley said. The club has more than 60 members.
The third Thursday of each month is the club's business meeting. All other Thursdays are the club's social meetings, where presentations, guest speakers, educational talks and question and answer sessions are held, Crowley said.
Each meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in Founders Hall next to the Somerset County Public Library. The club provides web conferencing to allow participation in the meetings.
The Field Day event will be in the grassy area in front of the Founders Hall Building. Take Route 31 (Glades Pike) east from Somerset past SCI Laurel Highlands and turn left into the Community College and Education Center. Take the second left from the college parking lot which goes to the front of the Founders Hall Building where parking is available.
For more information about amateur radio and Field Day, visit online at: www.arrl.org/field-day. For more information about the local club, visit: www.k3smt.org.
Madolin Edwards has been a journalist at the Daily American for 37 years, covering school boards and borough councils. She was the Home and Family editor for 20 years, and was the primary editor and reporter for a variety of special projects, features and tabs.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: ARRL operators plan Field Day event in Somerset County