MOUNT VERNON – The Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club (MVARC) invites the public to visit them during their annual Field Day Exercise, Saturday and Sunday June 28 and 29. MVARC will be set up near the Floral Valley recreation building in Apple Valley. They will be operating on emergency power attempting to make as many contacts, nationwide, as possible. ARRL Field Day is a nationwide exercise sponsored every year by the American Radio Relay League to help amateur radio operators prepare for possible deployment in case of emergency. This year adds a special
emphasis as the ARRL celebrates it 100th year. Amateur radio has kept up and adapted to the times.
Amateur radio, also known as Ham Radio, is gaining popularity. There are more licensed Amateur Radio operators now than ever. One of the reasons for the new surge of popularity is the Do It Yourself (DYI) aspect of the hobby. Young folk as well as the old timers are finding great pleasure building their own equipment and experimenting with Amateur Radio modes. New computer interfaces and Software Defined
Radio have peaked the curiosity of our youth and attracts them to the Ham Radio hobby. Once they get their licenses many are finding that the old modes of operating, like using Morse code, are intriguing and challenging and so more and more newcomers are learning Morse code. In fact since the elimination of the Morse code requirement for a license, more people are using actually using code on the air. The Ham hobby includes many facets. Some build their own equipment. Some use wits over watts and make worldwide connection using as little power as
possible. Hams text each other using digital modes without the need for an internet connection. Many use their rigs to communicate through satellites orbiting the earth. There is something for everyone in Amateur Radio. In fact it is a very family and educationally friendly hobby.
Amateur radio is more than a hobby it is a service. The FCC considers Amateur Radio as a service. Amateur Radio operators are often called into service when other communications systems fail. An example ham radio was called into service during hurricanes Katrina and Ike as well as the derecho which wreaked havoc two years. In Knox County the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club activates a local network of radio operators to monitor all storms entering the county. They have the capability of reporting directly to the national Weather Service in Cleveland as spotters on the ground experience hail, high wind and heavy rain damage. Hams were called in the fill the gaps when communication failed during the Twin Towers attack and more recently when cell communication failed during Boston Marathon bombings. Amateur radio is even used as a backup communications system on the International Space Station.
MVARC welcomes all comers to visit and participate with them at the Floral Valley Field Day site. They will even let you have the chance to talk on their radios.
For more information contact E. Michael McCardel, KC8YLD, ARRL PIO for Knox County Ohio KC8YLD@ARRL.NET or tel:740-599-6614.
