Amateur Radio Field Day June 28

Folks interested in learning about ham radio and its uses during emergencies are invited to Amateur Radio Field Day, held June 28 at Lahontan State Park on the Churchill County side. The event starts at 11 a.m. and will run into the night.

This event, hosted by the Amateur Radio of Churchill County (ARCC), will feature several off-grid power stations, antennas, and other technology ARCC can use in times of emergency.

Bob Clifford, the local Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator, said visitors will be able to speak and connect with ham radio operators around the world. He said those interested in emergency and community preparedness are encouraged to attend, and he invited those interested in becoming a ham operator to visit.

ARRL (Amateur Radio Relay League) Field Day is ham radio's open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up mobile transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio's science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. Amateur radio is recognized by FEMA as an integral part of our national emergency communications infrastructure.

Churchill County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (CCARES) is our local emergency communications group and supports emergency communications for the county, NAS Fallon, TCID and other organizations like the Red Cross. For Field Day we go out to a field location and operate without "grid power" continuously for 24 hours, making radio contacts around the country. We test radios, antennas, battery/solar and other equipment, and hone our skills in the art.

Radio amateurs are licensed by the FCC and have to pass an exam to get a license. Most applicants can pass the Technician class test with only about five hours of study. There are no age restrictions for obtaining a license. Our club gives license exams locally the 2nd Saturday of every month. With this license, new hams can start using inexpensive handheld radios capable of talking through local mountain-top repeaters that extend local area range. This is a great first step in emergency communications preparedness. Amateur radio is also a fun hobby. ARCC, our local club, holds weekly radio get-togethers and monthly meetings.

If you are curious about ham radios or would like to have a backup emergency communication option, ARCC can help get you started at www.facebook.com/ChurchillCountyAmateurRadio/.