Hamfesters Field Day
Click
here for more details on the 2009 Field Day
This is one of the many public service type activities occurring annually every June. Amateur radio operators (Hams) take their equipment into the great outdoors (using electricity generated at the operating site) and test it, simulating conditions of possible disaster.
Not only do they test their equipment, but they make a contest out of the exercise by contacting as many other hams operating emergency type stations as possible. Often they make a Field Day event a club social event while they are operating.
The equipment is exercised under harsh conditions for a 24 hour period. This allows us to determine types and brands of radio gear, antenna types, and generators that can prove reliable. Likewise, the sometimes fast and furious pace kept by the various operators sharpens their operating skills. In times of disaster (and supporting the hectic pace of disaster communications) this skill can be essential.
Hamfesters Radio Club sponsors several separate stations each of which is dedicated to a certain frequency or "band". The operator concentrates on a certain range of frequencies listening for stations not yet contacted. He may contact each station only once for each band operated. The second operator logs each contact and directs the operator to avoid stations already contacted, called "dupes".
Usually, Hamfesters has stations operating on 80 meter (3.5 MHz) CW (Morse code), 75 meter voice (phone), 40 and 20 meter CW and phone. In addition, we operate digital mode packet communications and also have a satellite station prepared to access the orbiting Oscar satellite.
Feel free to drop into any tent and listen a while to the activity. The operators normally are very busy and should not be disturbed. Any other Hamfester will be more than happy to answer any question you may have.
Thank your for coming to see our Field Day set up. Do look through the brochures available at the Hospitality Tent. Welcome to the world of Amateur Radio!
Click here for more information about Amateur Radio's emergency prepardness