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Amateur Radio Field Day Event
June 22 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Local Amateur Radio Clubs Test Their Skills
Every 4th weekend in June thousands of amateur radio (ham radio) operators throughout North America participate in Field Day, an event where licensed volunteer radio operators set up temporary transmitting stations to demonstrate how communities can stay connected in cases of emergency when power is out and landlines and cell phones are inoperable. This year Field Day takes place Friday through Sunday, June 21st through the 23rd. The public is welcome to a free day-long educational open house on Saturday, June 22 held in the former Par 3 golf course behind Seacliff Inn at 7500 Old Dominion Ct, Aptos. Check out amateur “hams” using an array of radio equipment to contact fellow hams locally and across the nation.
The event is co-hosted by the Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club and the San Lorenzo Valley ARC. According to The National Association for Ameteur Radio, with which both clubs are affiliated, Field Day has been an annual event nationally since 1933. The objective of Field Day is “to contact as many stations as possible on the 160-, 80-, 40-, 20-,15- and 10-Meter HF bands, as well as all bands 50 MHz and above, and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions.” Beyond the hobbyist, some train to join the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and register their ham setups with emergency agencies to be part of crucial communication networks in times of disaster. Learn more:
Santa Cruz County ARC: k6bj.org
San Lorenzo Valley ARC: slvarc.org
National Association for Ameteur Radio: arrl.org