Are You A Ham Wannabe? Annual Field Day Contest June 23 -24

Local Radio Amateurs demonstrate emergency preparedness during the annual U.S. and Canada Field Day contest 

by Fred Kruger, K2LDC

Amateur Radio Field Day 2012 is quickly approaching!  Each year, on the fourth full weekend in June (this year:June 23-24), radio amateurs (Hams) from all over the United States and Canada join with other members of clubs or friends to set up and operate from special locations. Some will operate from sites in parks, open fields, or shopping centers, while others will choose to operate from their local Emergency Operations Center, or even from home. Many will remain at their Field Day sites for the full 24 hours of the contest; operating from, and sleeping in, one or more small tents.

One of the key differences between this competition and others is that many ham groups will eat field-cooked food and will operate using “off-mains” power (batteries, generators, solar panels, wind mills, or even water turbines); thereby simulating emergency conditions….even if it is under somewhat relaxed conditions. It is an opportunity for all to learn to operate radio gear in abnormal situations and under less than optimal conditions. Other Hams view Field Day as a special contest and compete to get the most contacts and bonus points. All different types of antennas are set up for the operation and virtually all modes of radio communications are used. Some of these modes are AM, FM, Morse Code (CW), Single Side Band, and various digital modes.

Communications may actually involve contacts with Ham astronauts on the International Space Station or with radio amateurs almost anywhere in the world. Some contacts may be made by bouncing signals off the ionosphere, while others may be received and retransmitted by amateur radio satellites circling the earth far out in space.

In addition to their actual radio operation, many participating hams will set up and operate in public venues and provide educational materials and discussions. Guests may even be invited to speak over (one of) the radios. A special stand-alone ham radio station may be set up to encourage new operators to participate and provide the club with additional contest points, plus bonus points.

Hams respond to all types of emergencies. When normal communications channels are disrupted,  radio amateurs jump in action to provide essential communications when it really matters. A recent example of this occurred when large areas of Long Island lost power during Hurricane Irene. With no power, cell telephone service became virtually non-exist ant in many areas. Without electricity cable modems stopped working and cable telephone services stopped. The average person could neither call someone for information nor use their cable connected television up-to-date information. They couldn’t call their cable company to complain and they couldn’t call the power company to complain.

Hams who were set up and prepared for emergencies were able to use their battery or generator powered radios to contact other hams and obtain repair status information, provide logistical information, or summon help. When all else fails, hams are well known for their ability to provide communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations.

The contest aspect of Field Day is to simply make contact with as many other stations as possible without prior scheduling and operate their radio equipment under less than optimum conditions. Similar skills are used when radio amateurs help with community events such as parades, bike-a-thons and marathons. They also use some of the same skills when they exhibit at a meeting or fair. Field Day also  provides an opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to elected officials and the general public.

As described above, many amateur radio clubs on Long Island will set up and operate multiple radio stations and compete with other stations nationwide and beyond. In a real emergency or disaster, this same equipment would be available to provide a communications link from Long Island to the rest of the world, even if all public power and all local/regional communications systems were not operational (worst case, but possible).

Several clubs try to combine the best of everything: training, education, demonstration, and just plain socializing. Some clubs will use solar power in addition to a gas generator and auto battery power. Sometimes a very low power station  (less than 5 watts) will be added, since it will operate from readily available batteries for many hours or days and still be able to reach out long distances.  

Visitors are welcomed at Field Day sites! The latest information about local ham radio Field Day sites and operating hours can be found on the web site of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL):  http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator .