Radio Field day offers chance to hone skills

From a field in Brighton, the Washington Area Amateur Radio Club can talk with people around the country — and even around the world.

Each year, the radio club sets up its summer field day, a chance for amateur radio operators to practice their skills.

The event is part of American Radio Relay’s field day, held each year on the fourth weekend of June. More than 40,000 radio amateurs in the U.S. and Canada gather with their radio club or friends to practice ham radio skills.

The goal is to contact as many other clubs participating in the field day as possible.

At the ball fields in Brighton, the club had several radio transmitting towers set up, which allow them to connect with other ham radio operators worldwide.

Inside a camper running on generator power, club members worked monitoring radios.

There are over 750,000 amateur radio operators in the United States, and more than 6,000 in Iowa, according to the American Radio Relay League.

Washington Area Amateur Radio Club President Mark Lukins said field day is a training exercise.

In an emergency when other communications systems aren’t available, ham radio operators can help provide a means of communication.

“That’s one of the reasons we’re here today, rather than a place we would go a lot, because we try to stir things up, and we try to learn how to set up in different environments,” he said. “If there’s an actual communication emergency we have to go to, we’re not going to be set up in some nice park somewhere.”

Lukins said the Washington club has 35 members. Amateur radio operators must pass a licensing exam from the FCC to be able to start operating.

The club gets extra points in the field day challenge for operating on generator power.

There’s a winter field day, which helps the radio operators train for operating in adverse weather conditions.

The annual event has taken place nationwide since 1933, according to the American Radio Relay League.

Lukins, who has been an amateur radio operator since 2002, said ham radio is an honorable hobby.

“You can feel good with what you’re doing with your hobby,” he said. “You’re out helping people, you’re helping your community, and you’re having fun all at the same time.”

It allows amateurs to make connections with those who share the same hobby across the globe.

“When you’re not doing emergency communications, you’re home on the radio, talking to somebody, making new friends,” Lukins said. “It’s a plus, plus, any way you look at it.”