Despite the Internet, cell phones, email, and modern communications, every year whole regions find themselves in the dark. Tornadoes, fires, storms, ice, and even the occasional cutting of fiberoptic cables leave people without the means to communicate. In these cases, the one consistent service that has never failed has been Amateur Radio. These radio operators, often called “hams” provide backup communications for everything for the American Red Cross to FEMA and even the International Space Station. Montgomery County “hams” will join with thousands of other Amateur Radio Operators showing their emergency capabilities June 23 and 24. The “hams” will set up at 100 Blue Stem Lane in Hawk Point, Mo.
This annual event, called “Field Day” is the climax of the week lone “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. The operators will simulate emergency communications using emergency power supplies and portable antenna systems. Their slogan, “when all else fails, Ham Radio works” is more than just words to the “hams” as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, Internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event. The public is invited to visit the field day site and see amateur radio demonstrations.
- Lincoln Journal
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