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From Pamlico Amateur Radio Club

Ham radio operators from the Pamlico Amateur Radio Club (www.k4bch.com) will be participating in a national amateur radio exercise from 2:00 pm on Saturday until 2:00 pm on Sunday, June 28 – 29. The event is ARRL Field Day (www.arrl.org/FieldDay), an annual amateur radio activity organized since 1933 by ARRL, 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.

Hams from Beaufort, Pitt and Martin counties will be operating from the Goose Creek State Park Visitor Center, for this event and will exhibit radio communication capability that includes alternative energy sources such as generators, solar panels, and batteries to power the equipment. The public is welcome to come and participate between the hours of 2:00 pm through 8:00 pm on Saturday, June 28th and 9:00 am through 12:00 pm on Sunday, June 29th.

The event is good practice for a storm season with NOAA predicting a 60% chance of an above normal season with 13 to19 tropical cyclones predicted, 3 to 5 of them major CAT 3 hurricanes. “Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers,” said Club President Rick Moyer WB6JRV. “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,” Moyer added. 

During Field Day 2024, more than 31,000 hams participated from over 2,200 locations across the World making over 1.3 million contacts. According to ARRL, there are more than 750,000 amateur radio licensees in the US, and an estimated 3 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 5 to as old as108. A self-study license guide is available from ARRL: The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual (https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2003373064) and for Kindle (www.amazon.com/ARRL-Ham-Radio-License-Manual-ebook/dp/B0BCYQY92C/ref=monarch_sidesheet). For more information about ARRL Field Day and ham radio, contact Rick Moyer 619-787-3981 or email info@k4bch.com or sdsailman@gmail.com and visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.