Field Day is an event sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) where amateur radio operators across the nation try to make as many contacts with other amateurs as possible within a 24-hour period. The event also prepares amateurs for emergency communication situations by allowing them to practice passing information over the radio and to set up in areas where commercial power may not be readily available.
“This is a great opportunity for our club to interact with our elected officials, first responders, and the surrounding community to show how amateur radio can be an integral piece during an emergency,” said TSARC president Jody Carter. “We are very grateful to Walker County Emergency Management Agency director David Ashburn and Walker County fire chief Randy Camp for allowing us the opportunity to use Fire Station 1 as our base of operations for Field Day. We would also like to thank Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) president Mary Perry for coordinating the meals for Field Day activities. I believe Walker County’s emergency service agencies understand the value and power of amateur radio during an emergency. The tornadoes that struck the area on April 27, 2011 emphasized that fact.”
Carter said he hopes to have a lot of participation from the public at-large.
“This is a time where we can show the public what amateur radio operators do and show that it’s not having a big, expensive radio,” Carter said. “A person can start out by getting their license and purchasing a handheld radio for about $100 to begin talking to and participating with other hams on the various repeaters in the area.”
TSARC meets monthly on the second Thursday at the Lakeview voting precinct. Meetings are open to the public. TSARC also hosts weekly nets on Monday nights at 7 p.m. on the W4GTA repeater (145.35 MHz with 100Hz PL tone).
For more information about this event or how to become an amateur radio operator, visit the American Radio Relay League’s website at HelloRadio.org.
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