Ham radio operators from the Boston Amateur Radio Club will be in Hale Reservation participating in a national amateur radio exercise from 2 PM on Saturday until 2 PM on Sunday, June 27-28. The event is ARRL Field Day (arrl.org/field-day), an annual amateur radio activity organized since 1933 by ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio in the United States.
There will be signs directing the public to the Andrew Cucchara Learning in the reservation and the general public is invited on both Saturday and Sunday to see the operators and all the equipment used to talk on the radios. The best times to visit would be between 10 AM and 2 PM both days. The hams will be working through the night because this is a 24-hour contest. They will take turns operating and sleeping.
Hams from across North America ordinarily participate in Field Day by establishing temporary ham radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their skill and service. Their use of radio signals, which reach beyond borders, bring people together while providing essential communication in the service of communities. Field Day highlights ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent, wireless communications network.
Some hams from Westwood will also use the radio stations set up in their homes or their backyards and other locations to operate individually or with their families. Many hams have portable radio communication capability that includes alternative energy sources such as generators, solar panels, and batteries to power their equipment.
This year's event is also noteworthy given that a particularly active hurricane season is predicted. “Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers,” said Boston Amateur Radio Club President Brendan Baldonado, call sign (NW1S). “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,” Baldonado added.
During Field Day 2025, more than 31,000 hams participated from thousands of locations across North America. According to ARRL, there are more than 750,000 amateur radio licensees in the US, and an estimated 3 million worldwide.