Amateur Radio Field Day demonstrates science, skill and service

Upcoming event in Templeton on June 25 and 26

– Members of the Paso Robles Amateur Radio Club will participate in the National Amateur Radio Day Exercise the weekend of June 25-26 at Templeton High School Jack Allen Practice Field, 1200 Main Street, Templeton. The event is open to the public.

During the event, radio operators from across North America establish temporary radio stations in public places to showcase the science and skills of amateur radio. This is a round-the-clock emergency preparedness exercise and demonstration of radio amateur skills and readiness. The day demonstrates the ability of amateur radio to operate reliably under adverse conditions from almost any location.

Paso Robles Mayor Steven Martin has proclaimed June 19-26, 2022 Amateur Radio Week in the City of Paso Robles, in recognition of the many volunteer services provided to the community. Field Day is the culminating event of the week.

The event has been an annual tradition since 1933. Over 35,000 people from thousands of locations participated in the 2019 activities. Although COVID-19 has disrupted the event for the past two years, attendance in 2022 will be back on track.

For more than 100 years, amateur radio – also called amateur radio – has enabled people from all walks of life to experiment with electronics and communication techniques, and to provide a free public service to their communities in times of emergency. . This is especially crucial when cell phones and internet services are disrupted during a disaster.

While technology has changed, service goals remain constant. “It’s easy for anyone to pick up a computer or a smartphone, connect to the internet and communicate…” said David Isgur, communications manager for the American Radio Relay League, the national association of radio amateurs. . “But if there’s a service outage or you’re out of range of a cell tower, you have no way to communicate.”

Amateur radio operates independently of the Internet, landlines, or mobile phone infrastructure, and can also interface with computers, tablets, or smartphones. It can be installed almost anywhere in minutes. This is the advantage of amateur radio during a communication failure.

“In today’s electronic DIY environment, amateur radio remains one of the best ways for people to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology and many other scientific disciplines,” said Isgur. . “Furthermore, amateur radio is a tremendous asset to any community during disasters or emergencies if the standard communications infrastructure fails.”

Anyone can become a licensed amateur radio operator. There are over 725,000 licensed hams in the United States, as young as 9 years old and as old as 100 years old. And with groups like the Paso Robles Amateur Radio Club, it’s easy for everyone to get involved right here in Paso Robles.

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