Jun 25, 2008 1:15 pm US/Eastern
Amateur Radio 'Field Day'
Public Demo of Emergency Communications June 28-29
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Thousands of US Ham Radio operators will be showing off their emergency capabilities this weekend. Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications in emergencies including the California wildfires, Oregon and Michigan storms, tornadoes and other events world-wide.
During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio – often called "Ham radio" - was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer "hams" traveled south to save lives and property. When trouble is brewing, ham radio people are often the first to provide critical information and communications. On the weekend of June 28-29, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with these ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.
This annual event, called "Field Day" is the climax of the week long "Amateur Radio Week" sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and back yards around the country. Their slogan, "Ham radio works when other systems don't! " 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 34,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year's event.
"We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather's radio anymore," said Allen Pitts of the ARRL. "The communications networks that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives in the past months when other systems failed or were overloaded."
In the PHILADELPHIA area, several amateur radio groups will be demonstrating Amateur Radio at various locations. They invite the public to come and see ham radio's new capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.
There are 650,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL's ARES program, ham volunteers provide emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies, all for free.
To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to www.emergency-radio.org. The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the hams. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air!
Below is a list of some of the locations where AMATEUR RADIO will be in full-swing this weekend. If you're interested in seeing just how AMATEUR RADIO works, or are interested in becoming a "ham", this weekend provides the perfect opportunity to see what it's all about!
K3TU
TUARC/DCARA/MNARC/Mobile Sixers SUPER SITE
Drexel Lodge Park, PA Route 3
Newtown Square, PA
Talk-in: 147.195 PL 100.0
Contact: Dennis Silage, K3DS
k3ds@arrl.net
Web Site
W3BIG
Delaware County ARES / RACES
Ridley Creek State Park, Area 11
PA
Talk-in: 147.195 PL 100.0
Contact: Robert G Wilson, W3BIG
W3BIG@arrl.net
Web Site
W3AEC
Delaware County ARES / RACES
360 North Middletown Rd. (911 Center)
Lima, PA
Talk-in: 147.195 PL 100.0
Contact: Robert G Wilson, W3BIG
W3BIG@arrl.net
Web Site
W3NWA
Mid Atlantic ARC
Rittenhouse and Egypt Roads
Audubon, PA
Talk-in: WB3JOE/R 145.13 PL131.8
Contact: Dennis Silage, K3DS
k3ds@arrl.net
Web Site
W2MMD
Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club
4H Fairgrounds, State Route 77 South
Mullica Hill, NJ
Talk-in: 147.18 Repeater PL131.8
Contact: Mr John A Zaruba Jr, AA2BN
856 269 9938
aa2bn@arrl.net
Web Site
K3QBD
First State Amateur Radio Club (FSARC)
2727 Shipley Rd.
Wilmington, DE
Contact: Gerald Simonowits, KB2GCG
1-201-873-1457
jerseyj69@mac.com
Web Site
NJ2BB
Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station
62 Battleship Way
Camden, NJ
Talk-in: 146.500
Contact: Margaret Burgess
866-877-6262
Info@nj2bb.org
Web Site
K2AA
South Jersey Radio Association
Marlton, NJ
Talk-in: 145.290 -.600 PL 91.5
Contact: Kenneth W Botterbrodt, K2WB
856.983.1924
k2wb@arrl.org
Web Site
K3FI
Holmesburg ARC
Alverthorp Park
Jenkintown, PA
Talk-in: 146.685 PL-146.2
Contact: Carl L Gerhart, N3ZZK
n3zzk@arrl.net
Web Site
W3EM
PHILMONT MOBILE RADIO CLUB
FORT WASHINGTON STATE PARK, RTE 73 & MILITIA HILL ROAD
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA
Talk-in: 147.030 VHF REPEATER, PL-91.5
Contact: Carmelo J Decicco, KE3QB
215-801-2361
MY3GUMBAS@VERIZON.NET
AA3E
Montgomery County RACES/ARES
Office of Emergency Preparedness
Eagleville, PA
Talk-in: 146.835/.235 T 88.5
Contact: Douglas E Priest, W3CF
267-471-4724
w3cf@verizon.net
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