40,000 hams to participate in “Field Day” emergency exercise

PORTLAND — Amateur Radio “Hams” from Portland and the surrounding area invite you to join them and nearly 40,000 others this weekend, June 23-24, in their annual “Field Day”, one of the largest events in the Amateur Radio world.

Ham operators take pride in their ability to communicate when cell phones, power, or the internet are wiped out by disasters such as the recent hurricanes which clobbered Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida. Hams routinely volunteer their equipment and communications expertise as a public service. Field Day is when they show their stuff.

Simulating emergency conditions, they set up generators, shelter, and antennas in any location, and communicate with any station they can hear for a 24-hour period. The event is configured as a contest, with points awarded for each successful contact. Solar cells, windmills, and generators power for their equipment. They use voice, Morse Code, and sophisticated digital modes to pass a brief message. A typical station in Connecticut can talk with stations as far away as San Diego and Washington state, and may occasionally reach Hawaii and Alaska.

The Middlesex Amateur Radio Society invites the public to visit this year’s operation in Portland at the Senior Center at 7 Waverly Avenue. They will have a special Get On The Air station so visitors can enjoy making their first contacts with the assistance of a licensed radio amateur. Setup starts Saturday at 10:00 a.m. With generators humming and the sky full of antennas, operations will begin at 2:00 p.m. and continue for 24 hours, using callsign W1EDH.

For information please contact: Mac Harper, W1FYM at 860-368-1613. Field Day is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, 225 Main St., Newington.