Local

Clay County hosts amateur radio operators Field Day as hurricane season approaches

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Every year on the fourth weekend in June as hurricane season begins, amateur radio operators across the nation prepare their equipment in case they are needed for natural disasters.

This weekend, ham radio operators from Clay County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ClayARES), and the Orange Park Amateur Radio Club (OPARC) will demonstrate their communication capabilities at their Annual Field Day. This event has been opened to the public so that radio operators can demonstrate first-hand how they can assist our community in times of crisis.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

American radio relay league (ARRL) Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the U.S. and Canada. This time each year, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations. According to the league, Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and most of all, fun!

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. The contest aspect of the Field Day is to contact as many other stations as possible and to learn to operate radio gear in abnormal situations and less-than-optimal-conditions.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

“Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers,” said Scott Roberts, KK4ECR, public information officer. “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,” Roberts added.

This year, Field Day will be held at Camp Chowenwaw, 1517 Ball Road, Green Cove Springs, Florida 32043, from 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 25 until 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 26.

Click here to visit the ARRL official website.

Click here for official details.


[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

Sydny Pepper, Action News Jax

Sydny Pepper is a digital reporter and content creator for Action News Jax.