Amateur Radio “Field Day” June 23–24, 2018 at Franklin County Emergency Management & Homeland Security

Post date: May 29, 2018 7:04:57 PM

The Franklin County Auxiliary Communications Club (FCACC) will be hosting operators from the Franklin County Ohio Amateur Radio Emergency Service (FCOH ARES) and Central Ohio Traffic Net (COTN), as well as personnel from Ohio Military Reserve, during the 2018 American Radio Relay League (ARRL) “Field Day” Exercise on June 23-24, 2018. The 24-hour exercise will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at FCEM&HS, 5300 Strawberry Farms Blvd., Columbus and will demonstrate the science and skill of Franklin County’s Amateur Radio capabilities. This event is open to the public during certain periods. Visitors are encouraged to attend from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Saturday and from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Sunday.

Amateur Radio, often called “ham radio,” is a worldwide community of licensed operators who use radio airwaves to transmit voice, data and pictures when normal infrastructure is offline. The systems function completely independent of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Operators are trained in basic electronics and radio communications and licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. The Franklin County Auxiliary Communications Club (FCACC) helps to ensure amateur radio communication capabilities for FCEM&HS in the event of an emergency or disaster in Franklin County.

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the United States and Canada. On the fourth weekend in June, more than 35,000 radio amateurs will gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to demonstrate ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location. During the 24-hour exercise, operators will communicate with as many other stations as possible and practice their emergency response plans.

For anyone interested in Amateur Radio operations or becoming a licensed Amateur Radio operator, the event will also feature demonstrations on how to use the equipment and the opportunity for residents to send an actual message through the system. Currently, there are over 725,000 licensed operators in the United States, ranging in age from as young as 5 and as old as 100.

To sign up to operate or to visit, please register online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YKDPSYF.