Ham radio operators from the “Smoking Hot Radios” Amateur Radio Club at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown will be participating in a national amateur radio exercise from 1 PM on Saturday until 1 PM on Sunday, June 27 – 28. The event is ARRL Field Day (www.arrl.org/field-day), an annual amateur radio activity organized since 1933 by ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio in the United States. Operations will occur from the IVH courtyard, with the Malloy Kopper Kettle as an alternate if the weather gets too hot.

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.

Some hams from Marshall County will also use the radio stations set up in their homes or their backyards and other locations to operate individually or with their families. Many hams have portable radio communication capability that includes alternative energy sources such as generators, solar panels, and batteries to power their equipment.

Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers. 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.

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 9 to older than 100. A self-study license guide is available from ARRL: The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual (www.arrl.org/shop/Ham-Radio-License-Manual).

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For more information about ARRL Field Day and ham radio, Contact: Craig Hoepfner, President of SHR Amateur Radio Club [641-351-8717], and visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.