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Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association members Dennis Brink, KD9KMK, and Roger Correa, KC9IPL, make contacts with other participating stations during the 2022 field day event.
AUBURN — Ham radio operators from the Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association will conduct field operations June 24 and 25 at First Christian Church, 910 N. Indiana Ave.
Licensed ham operators will be participating in a national amateur radio exercise from 2 p.m. Saturday, June 24 until 2 p.m. Sunday, June 25. The public is welcome from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on June 24 to get on the air and to learn more about ham radio today.
The event is an American Radio Relay League Field Day, an annual amateur radio activity organized since 1933 by the ARRL, which is the national association for amateur radio in the United States.
Hams from across North America ordinarily participate in Field Day by establishing temporary ham radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their skill and service. Their use of radio signals, which reach beyond borders, bring people together while providing essential communication in the service of communities.
Field Day highlights ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent, wireless communications network. Ham radio operators from Noble County and DeKalb County will also use the radio stations set up in their homes or taken to their backyards and other locations to operate individually or with their families.
Many hams have portable radio communication capability that includes alternative energy sources such as generators, solar panels, and batteries to power their equipment. This year’s event is also noteworthy given that a particularly active tornado season is predicted.
“Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers,” said Ondreya Witmer, W9OU Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Field Day Chairman, call sign KD9WAS.
“Ham radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems, and a station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others,” Witmer added.
During Field Day 2022, more than 18,000 hams participated from thousands of locations across North America. According to the ARRL, there are more than 750,000 amateur radio licensees in the United States, and an estimated three million worldwide.
Among the tenets of the Amateur Radio Service is developing and practicing skills in radio technology and radio communications, and even contributing to international goodwill. Hams range in age from as young as 9 to older than 100. Contact W9OU for testing materials and license information and how to get your ham radio license. The website is w9ou.org/.
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