Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=5797
Wire Service Canada
Canadian Free Press Release Service
Press Release: WOOD BUFFALO REGION COMMUNICATORS PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES DURING ANNUAL ACTIVATION - Field Day 2011 June 25/26
Submitted by ken945 on Jun 23, 2011 - 04:22 PM
Society
Volunteer radio operators take time to refine their skills in communications support for public service and emergency activations.
(Fort McMurray, Alberta) Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, Wild Fires and airport disasters are only a few of the reasons Amateur Radio operators in Wood Buffalo Region volunteer their time and equipment to support local government and relief agencies. To keep their skills fresh and to experiment with new technologies, these local men and women participate annually in an exercise called Field Day.
As members of the Tarsands Amateur Radio Club, they will be abandoning the comforts of their home-based stations, called "radio shacks," on June 25-26, 2011 to set up temporary antennas, alternative power sources and portable communications stations to test their capabilities in communicating under extreme conditions.
"Ham Radio operators, as they are also called, have often made the difference during serious emergencies such as Slave Lake Wild Fire, High River flooding, the eastern seaboard power fail and other emergencies and disasters around the country. At the World Trade Center and along the Gulf Coast during Katrina, amateur radio operators established communications when other means failed.
Locally, Wood Buffalo "hams" have provided communications support for Y2K and been on stand-by for the recent wild fire outbreak.
Since 1933, Radio Amateurs have used Field Day, sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) as way to refine their skills in setting up under adverse conditions and contacting other stations. It has become the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada.
During Field Day, Amateur Radio Clubs and solo operators across the country set up stations in local parks or fields, at shopping malls, in sports stadiums or even in their own backyard, and go "on the air" using generators or battery power. All of this is designed to test the ham's ability to set up and successfully operate portable communications stations under emergency conditions.
The Tarsands Amateur Radio Club (TARC) will hold this year's Field Day operation at MacDonald Island Park, beginning at 12:00pm, Saturday, June 26 until 12:00pm, Sunday, June 27. The public is cordially invited to visit the site beside The Snye path and the out-door Field on Saturday between 12:00pm and 10:00pm and Sunday between 9:00am and 12:00pm.
Ken McPherson, the club's President, said, "Field Day is a great opportunity for people from our county to learn about Amateur Radio. Everyone, young and old alike, is welcome to visit. You will even have an opportunity to operate a special demonstration station we will set up."
While Field Day is a serious test of skill, it is also a contest for fun and the largest "on the air" operating event each year in the United States. During the weekend, radio operators try to contact as many other Field Day stations as possible. More than 35,000 Amateur Radio operators across the USA and Canada participated in last year's event.
Since most Field Day sites are open to the public, the event provides groups with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to local elected community leaders as well as key individuals with the organizations they might serve in an emergency.
TARC President Ken McPherson stated, "We want the citizens of RMWB to know that, in the event of an emergency, we will be ready to assist in any way we can. While people may think that cell phones or other communications technologies will always work, recent events have shown this isn't always the case. During those situations, ham radio operators can still communicate."
So called Ham Radio, has "a long standing tradition of supporting communities, responding to emergencies, and training the next generation of knowledgeable and experienced communications volunteers."
Today there are more than 50,000 Amateur Radio operators in the Canada and more than 2.5 million worldwide. The Tarsands Amateur Radio Club has a members Fort McMurray and surrounding counties. To find out more about Amateur Radio, how you can get started, or more information about Field Day, contact Ken McPherson @ va6km@tarsandsarc.ca or call 780-715-6762. Information on Amateur Radio is also available on the web at www.arrl.org of www.tarsandsarc.ca.
Wire Service Canada
Canadian Free Press Release Service
Press Release: WOOD BUFFALO REGION COMMUNICATORS PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES DURING ANNUAL ACTIVATION - Field Day 2011 June 25/26
Submitted by ken945 on Jun 23, 2011 - 04:22 PM
Society
Volunteer radio operators take time to refine their skills in communications support for public service and emergency activations.
(Fort McMurray, Alberta) Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, Wild Fires and airport disasters are only a few of the reasons Amateur Radio operators in Wood Buffalo Region volunteer their time and equipment to support local government and relief agencies. To keep their skills fresh and to experiment with new technologies, these local men and women participate annually in an exercise called Field Day.
As members of the Tarsands Amateur Radio Club, they will be abandoning the comforts of their home-based stations, called "radio shacks," on June 25-26, 2011 to set up temporary antennas, alternative power sources and portable communications stations to test their capabilities in communicating under extreme conditions.
"Ham Radio operators, as they are also called, have often made the difference during serious emergencies such as Slave Lake Wild Fire, High River flooding, the eastern seaboard power fail and other emergencies and disasters around the country. At the World Trade Center and along the Gulf Coast during Katrina, amateur radio operators established communications when other means failed.
Locally, Wood Buffalo "hams" have provided communications support for Y2K and been on stand-by for the recent wild fire outbreak.
Since 1933, Radio Amateurs have used Field Day, sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) as way to refine their skills in setting up under adverse conditions and contacting other stations. It has become the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada.
During Field Day, Amateur Radio Clubs and solo operators across the country set up stations in local parks or fields, at shopping malls, in sports stadiums or even in their own backyard, and go "on the air" using generators or battery power. All of this is designed to test the ham's ability to set up and successfully operate portable communications stations under emergency conditions.
The Tarsands Amateur Radio Club (TARC) will hold this year's Field Day operation at MacDonald Island Park, beginning at 12:00pm, Saturday, June 26 until 12:00pm, Sunday, June 27. The public is cordially invited to visit the site beside The Snye path and the out-door Field on Saturday between 12:00pm and 10:00pm and Sunday between 9:00am and 12:00pm.
Ken McPherson, the club's President, said, "Field Day is a great opportunity for people from our county to learn about Amateur Radio. Everyone, young and old alike, is welcome to visit. You will even have an opportunity to operate a special demonstration station we will set up."
While Field Day is a serious test of skill, it is also a contest for fun and the largest "on the air" operating event each year in the United States. During the weekend, radio operators try to contact as many other Field Day stations as possible. More than 35,000 Amateur Radio operators across the USA and Canada participated in last year's event.
Since most Field Day sites are open to the public, the event provides groups with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to local elected community leaders as well as key individuals with the organizations they might serve in an emergency.
TARC President Ken McPherson stated, "We want the citizens of RMWB to know that, in the event of an emergency, we will be ready to assist in any way we can. While people may think that cell phones or other communications technologies will always work, recent events have shown this isn't always the case. During those situations, ham radio operators can still communicate."
So called Ham Radio, has "a long standing tradition of supporting communities, responding to emergencies, and training the next generation of knowledgeable and experienced communications volunteers."
Today there are more than 50,000 Amateur Radio operators in the Canada and more than 2.5 million worldwide. The Tarsands Amateur Radio Club has a members Fort McMurray and surrounding counties. To find out more about Amateur Radio, how you can get started, or more information about Field Day, contact Ken McPherson @ va6km@tarsandsarc.ca or call 780-715-6762. Information on Amateur Radio is also available on the web at www.arrl.org of www.tarsandsarc.ca.