Radio Field Day set in Havre Saturday and Sunday

Editor’s note: This story ran in the June 13 edition of Havre Weekly Chronicle, but misreported the days of the event. The corrected story follows.

The local ham radio club again is inviting people to come watch — and use — amateur radios this weekend in Havre.

Hi-Line Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the American Radio Relay League — ARRL — Field Day from noon Saturday, June 22, to noon Sunday, June 23, at Veterans Memorial Park on 11th Street west across from Montana State University-Northern’s Tilleman Field, club member Heather Hinckley said.

Hinckley said the field day is an opportunity for people to come see how the amateur radio system works, and even use it themselves.

Hinckley said club members will help anyone who wants to use the radios.

She added that the youngest person in the area to get a license was a girl from Chinook who received her license when she was 9 years old.

An ARRL release said its Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event in the United Sates and Canada, held the fourth weekend of June every year.

Every year the release said, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

The theme this year is “Be Radio Active”

“It is a time where many aspects of amateur radio come together to highlight our many roles,” the release said. “While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate amateur radio to the organizations that amateur radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.”

ARRL is the national association for amateur radio in the United States, representing 748,229 U.S. Federal Communications Commission-licensed amateur radio operators using the amateur bands.

Montana has 4,429 licenses issued.

The field day both lets amateur radio — often called “ham radio” — operators show the community what they do but also helps them hone their skills.

“We use these same skills when we help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities,” the release said. “But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they are so complex — ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications in crises when it really matters. Amateur radio people (also called “hams”) are well known for our communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations.”

People have to be licensed by the FCC to use a ham radio, but if licensed operators are present people without licenses can use the system, Hinckley said.

She added that the event also earns points for the Hi-Line club in the field day contest — the number of contacts made by the Hi-Line club are counted and added to its score for the Field Day contest.