Radio ‘Field Day’ slated
Members of the Jim Bell Wireless Association will be participating in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise, June 22 – 23 at 285 Greystone Court, Greenville, AL 36032.
Since 1933, ham radio operators across North America have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of Amateur Radio. This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23. On Saturday, June 22, from 1 – 6 p.m., and on Sunday, June 23, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Directions from Greenville: Take AL Hwy 10 west past I-65, turn left on Sandcut Road (Co. Rd. 25), 4.6 miles, then right on Greystone Court to the end.
Field Day is a showcase for how Amateur Radio works reliably under any conditions from almost any location to create an independent communications network. “Ham radio functions completely independent of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure, can interface with tablets or smartphones, and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes.
That’s the beauty of Amateur Radio during a communications outage,” says David Isgur, N1RSN, communications manager for ARRL The national association for Amateur Radio®, (www.arrl.org), which represents Amateur (or “ham”) Radio operators across the country.
“In today’s electronic do-it-yourself (DIY) environment, ham radio remains one of the best ways for people to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology, and numerous other scientific disciplines, and is a huge asset to any community during disasters or emergencies if the standard communication infrastructure goes down,” Isgur adds.
Anyone may become a licensed Amateur Radio operator. There are more than 725,000 licensed hams in the United States, as young as nine and as old as 100. And with clubs such as Jim Bell Wireless Association, it’s easy for anybody to get involved right here in Butler and Lowndes Counties.
For more information about Field Day or Amateur Radio, contact Michael Norris at 334-328-1661 or visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.
