Hamming it up: Amateur radio buffs will show off their skills this weekend in Big Flats
It's a popular hobby that can also save lives.
Amateur or "ham" radio operators can talk to fellow enthusiasts all over the world, and they can also be a critical asset during major emergencies when normal means of communications are often disabled.
Area ham radio operators will have a chance to show off their skills this weekend when the Amateur Radio Association of the Southern Tier hosts its annual 24-hour field day event at Harris Hill Park in the Town of Big Flats.
The association, which has been around since 1933, has 84 active members, and many of them will be on hand Saturday and Sunday to operate a temporary radio station, W2ZJ, and make contact with other stations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The field day, which is open to the public, is not only fun for participants, but it's also a great opportunity for people to learn more about amateur radio and hopefully become involved, said Tom McGarry, field day secretary.
"This year, the hurricane season has started earlier than usual," McGarry said. "Emergency communications will be critical and radio operators are trained and prepared to help. With the Amateur Radio Association of the Southern Tier, it’s easy for anybody to get involved."
A history of reaching out
Radio technology has been around since 1901, when inventor Guglielmo Marconi communicated across the Atlantic with a radio device using high power and giant antennas.
Congress later approved the Radio Act of 1912, which required amateurs to be licensed and restricted to the single wavelength of 200 meters to reduce interference.
As interest in the pastime grew, the Amateur Radio Relay League, now known as the National Association for Amateur Radio, was founded in 1933.
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Today, ham radio enthusiasts operate in nearly every country across the globe, according to the association.
Interestingly, the name "ham" was originally coined as a term of derision by commercial radio operators who were frustrated by amateur radio interference, the National Association for Amateur Radio said.
The amateur operators embraced the term and its original meaning eventually faded away.
A vital community service
While contacting people all over the world can be fun, the public service aspect of ham radio is equally important, said McGarry, who got personally involved in amateur radio in the 1980s.
"We helped out when a tornado came through the area (in 2012)," he said. "Some of the additional emergency responses included the Hurricane Agnes flood in 1972, where amateur radio was the main communication between Elmira and Corning for a 2-and-a-half-week period, and ice jams in the Chemung River in the early 1980s."
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The group also assists with communications for major events such as the Wineglass Marathon, McGarry said.
The association can help beginners learn the ins and outs of two-way radio communications and help them apply for the necessary licenses from the Federal Communications Commission, he said.
If you go
The ham radio field day, which is part of a national event organized by the National Association for Amateur Radio, will take place from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday at building H3 and Cabin 5 next to the National Soaring Museum on Harris Hill.
For more information about the field day, contact McGarry, KA4ERK, at 607-535-2202 or 607-368-1157.
To learn more about amateur radio, visit the National Association for Amateur Radio website at aarl.org.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Ham radio buffs will take part in annual field day in Southern Tier
