Ham radio operators will hold field days this weekend in Albion

Press Release, Orleans County Amateur Radio Club

File photo by Tom Rivers: George Lloyd of Brockport, left, takes a turn at the radio during the Field Day event in June 2016 for the Orleans County Amateur Radio Club, which holds its event at the Orleans County Emergency Management Office in Albion. The operators will give visitors a chance to be on the air during Field Days.

ALBION – Members of the Orleans County Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the annual Amateur Radio Field Day exercise on Saturday and Sunday at the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, 14064 West County House Rd.

The OCARC has been active in this Field Day exercise since 1961. This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to visit from 2 p.m. on Saturday until 2 p.m. on Sunday.

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.

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 laptops 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 (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 9 and as old as 100. And with clubs such as the Orleans County Amateur Radio Club, it’s easy for anybody to get involved right here in the Orleans County area.

For more information about Field Day or Amateur Radio, contact Bruce Sidari at (585) 820-6460.