AMATEUR RADIO FIELD DAY SET FOR JUNE 27-28

Members of the Cass County Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise this weekend at the Cass County Emergency Management Agency office on SR 17. Since 1933, ham radio operators across North America have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of Amateur Radio. This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

Field Day demonstrates ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent communications network.

Members of the Cass County Amateur Radio Club assist the National Weather Service and local public safety officials when severe weather threatens the area by becoming storm spotters and relaying storm reports. When normal communications fail or become overloaded, amateur radio operators can fill the gap by taking their radio equipment where it is needed and re-establish communications within the community and relay vital information.

Anyone may become a licensed Amateur Radio operator. There are over 725,000 licensed hams in the United States, as young as 5 and as old as 100.

For more information about Amateur Radio, visit the Cass County Amateur Radio Club website at www.w9vmw.org or the American Radio Relay League website atwww.arrl.org

This year, Field Day operations will begin at 2pm on Saturday, June 27 and run continuously until 2pm on Sunday, June 28. The Club will have a special station set-up so that the public can “get on the air” and experience Field Day.