November 4, 2024

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Busy weekends ahead for Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub: | News, Sports, Jobs

Busy weekends ahead for Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub: | News, Sports, Jobs

Jerry Williams, left, and fellow members of the Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub Earl Hulce and Rob Wade test their ham radio equipment in the field during the American Radio Relay League Field Day in 2021. (File photo)

PARKERSBURG — Members of the Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub will be on the air for a pair of events the next two weekends.

The group will activate “Parks on the Air” and operate remotely from the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Williamstown on Saturday. And on June 22-23, P.A.R.K. members will conduct their annual ARRL Field Day at Fort Boreman Park in Parkersburg.

“The POTA activation this weekend from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. is part one of a two-part series of Klub outings,” P.A.R.K. President Larry Dale said. “Part two is Field Day, June 22-23, from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday. Both weekends involve ham radio operators demonstrating their ability to be prepared for communication in the event of an emergency.

The public is invited to observe both outings.”

Parks on the Air involves international portable amateur radio operations that promote emergency awareness and communications from national/international/federal and state/provincial level parks. Once activated, the POTA site is listed online and ham radio operators from around the world attempt to make contact and confirm the conversation for recognition and special awards.

“I have worked all states in the United States and the District of Columbia on POTA,” Klub member Tom Porter said. “It was fairly easy for me to do; I was surprised.”

Porter used various high frequency radio bands to secure the recognition.

“Some of the parks I contacted could only be heard in the wee hours of the morning or late at night because band conditions were better during those times,” he said.

Though there are multiple places in West Virginia designated as POTA parks, the activation is rare and makes them highly sought after stations.

“I was monitoring the 40-meter band recently, and heard some hams in different parts of the country talking about how difficult contacting a West Virginia POTA station was for them,” Porter said. “I joined their QSO (Q-code for conversation/contact) and told them about our Klub’s plans for this weekend – they are excited, and so am I. This is the first time the Klub has done this as a group.”

Individual licensed hams can conduct a qualifying POTA activation on their own from any park anywhere at any time.

“Fort Boreman is not recognized as a POTA park, but Blennerhassett Island and North Bend state parks, as well as other regional parks, do qualify for POTA,” Porter said. “We will select a different park and operate from there next time.”

The following weekend is the American Radio Relay League Field Day. P.A.R.K. members will set up antennas, solar panels, batteries and portable generators and operate radios for 24 hours straight while thousands of other stations do the same thing across the country. The ARRL Field Day is the largest single emergency preparedness exercise in the country, with more than 30,000 operators participating each year. Field Day is always held the fourth full weekend in June.

For Field Day, the Klub will be at the entrance of Fort Boreman Park starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22. The public is invited to observe during Field Day next weekend, learn about the ARRL, the national voice of amateur radio, and receive information on how to become a ham radio operator.



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