Amateur Radio Field Day 2017 - Wallingford

MARC/WARG supporting ARRL Field Day at Wallingford OEM facility

Mark your calendars for June 24th and 25th, Amateur Radio operators in IARU Region2 (that includes Connecticut) the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) will hold its annual Field Day exercise on these dates. This year is no different with hundreds if not thousands of locations hosting the event through North America. Connecticut is no exception with more than a dozen host locations for the public to visit. The event helps Amateur Radio operators prepare to set up emergency communications quickly and make communication with other areas which assist the operators in the emergency preparedness ability.

In Connecticut events will be held in Danbury, Mansfield, Milford, Norwalk, Orange, Portland, Shelton and Wallingford just to name a few. The events are educational and provide emergency readiness training for the participants. Each location will attempt to contact as many other locations as possible using HF/VHF/UHF radio communications. At the end of the event the contact numbers are verified and tabulated and scores published in the ARRL magazine QST. Each location is set up a little differently but the locations (aka stations) welcome the public to stop by and witness and take part in the event. Our Wallingford station will have a GOTA (get on the air) station that allow the general public to make radio contacts with folks using High Frequency communication gear.

Amateur Radio operators provide services to communities when “all else fails” situations occur. When Hurricane Katrina and Sandy devastated our communities, most cellular communications in those hard hit areas ceased to function due to flooded cell tower and land line infrastructures. Amateur Radio operators stepped in and provided essential communications for residence of these hard hit areas. Amateur Radio operators do not rely on the infrastructure of normal civilian communication and in emergency situations, Amateur Radio operators can provide the communication service needed by communities. The ARES group (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) within the ARRL consists of volunteers that assist communities with communications during emergency events. The ARRL and ARES folk are all part of 2017 ARRL Field Day. The public is encouraged to stop by the Wallingford 2017 Field Day event and experience this service.

Wallingford Field Day 2017 will start at 2PM at:

143 Hope Hill Road, Wallingford, CT. 06492

Stop by and view the operation, operate radios, chat to folks across North America and learn about Amateur Radio operations and how it helps local communities. This is a rain or shine event. We'll have folks available to answer questions about various aspects of radio communications.

For additional information contact; MAIL@W1NRG.COM