Ham Radio Field Day invites public to see emergency communications in action

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was authored by correspondent Lily Braumberger.

ASHLAND – While crowds gather to watch balloons take flight at Balloonfest in Ashland, a different kind of lift-off will be happening just down the hill.

The Ashland Area Amateur Radio Club will host its annual Field Day event beginning Saturday, June 28 at 2 p.m. and running through Sunday, June 29 at 2 p.m. near the barn at the Balloonfest grounds.

The public is invited to stop by, learn, listen in, even get on the air.

“We run it like a simulated emergency practice test,” said Robert Palm, local organizer and ham radio operator.

“We siimulate as if we get activated in some large-scale event where there’s communication needs, and we practice operating under less than ideal conditions.”

Field Day is sponsored by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) and has taken place annually since 1933.

The goal is to test an amateur radio operator’s ability to operate under emergency conditions using temporary equipment, alternative power sources, and high-traffic frequencies.

“What our group typically does is we will pick a public area, set up using temporary stuff and then we simulate,” Palm explained. “We get a lot of practice on how to set up, what the effectiveness is, and how to get communications through under tough conditions.”

Palm said the group will begin preliminary setup on Thursday, June 26.

“We’re going to do our initial setup and run a special event station with a special amateur radio call sign, and then just make random contacts over the radio all over the country.”

The Ashland club’s Field Day station will be a fully portable set top powered by generators or batteries, just like one would use in an actual emergency. This approach emphasizes the value of ham radio in disaster response.

According to the press release, ham radio functions “completely independently of the internet and phone systems, and a station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes.”

Operators can “quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.”

Visitors of all ages are welcome to stop by, observe live contacts being made across the country, ask questions, and even step behind the mic with guidance from a licensed operator.

For more information about Field Day, amateur radio, or the Ashland Area Amateur Radio Club, contact the club at [email protected] or Robert Palm at [email protected] and visitwww.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.