FIELD DAY NEWS RELEASE (INDIANAPOLIS, June 26) — Thankfully, no injuries or widespread devastation resulted from the tornado that struck the Indianapolis area Tuesday. But what if the twister had toppled cell towers and utility poles, disrupting local communications for days or even weeks? Indy’s next line of defense — amateur (“ham”) radio — will be on display this weekend at Camp Belzer, near Fort Harrison State Park, and the public is invited to attend and even get on the air. About 50 licensed radio operators from four local clubs will join forces under the banner of the Indianapolis Radio Club for an annual on-air event known as Field Day. First held in 1933, Field Day now attracts about 35,000 licensed radio operators from the United States and Canada, who set up portable stations in locations ranging from backyards to mountaintops. The event, always staged on the fourth full weekend of June, mimics a massive communications breakdown by requiring participants to get on the air quickly and without the use of commercial electricity. So, a couple of hours before Saturday’s 2 p.m. starting time, the local group will haul antennas, radios, wires, generators and other gear to Camp Belzer and cobble it into working radio stations capable of engaging in worldwide communications. Taking to the airwaves as W9JP/100 (the second numeral in honor of the club’s centennial year), they’ll spend the next 24 hours making contact with as many other Field Day stations as possible, using voice transmissions, Morse code, satellite communications and other modes. Interested spectators can do more than watch. The Belzer operation will feature a special GOTA (“Get on the air”) station for people with little or no on-air experience. Local residents are invited to visit and talk with other stations throughout North America (and perhaps beyond), scoring Field Day points with each new contact. The operation will continue nonstop on rotating shifts all day Saturday and throughout the night, with some participants remaining on the air and others sleeping in tents at Camp Belzer or returning home. Radio transmissions will cease promptly at 2 p.m. Sunday, when the Indianapolis crew disassembles and packs up their equipment just as thousands of fellow Field Day participants do likewise throughout North America. And though points will be totaled and standings announced in a radio magazine, Field Day will remain less a competition than a weekend of fellowship wrapped in an emergency preparedness exercise. -- 30 --
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 09:59:08 +0000
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