Saturday & Sunday June 22 – 23
UCSC East Field & CAL-FIRE Camp/Ben Lomond Youth Conservation Camp in Ben Lomond.
On Saturday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. thousands of Amateur Radio Operators around the U.S., often called “hams” will be demonstrating their emergency communications capabilities for the public.
Locally the Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club, which operates the K6BJ repeater system, and the Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Service (A.R.E.S.) will be establishing their emergency field communications center at the Ben Lomond Youth Conservation Camp in Ben Lomond. A second Field Day site is located on the campus of UCSC.
The public is invited; families with children, Scout Troops, local officials, served agencies and local representatives, to stop by and experience the amateur radio and the capabilities offered by the Santa Cruz corps of volunteer radio operators.
This is a unique opportunity for the public to see and experience first-hand wireless communications. Amateur Radio operators will set up and establish field communications capabilities as an exercise to prepare for times of natural disasters and emergencies.
If you have had an interest in amateur radio and wish to learn about it first hand, then this is your opportunity to actually get on the air and experience amateur radio first hand.
This is not your Grandfather’s Ham Radio but an example of the new technologies used by Amateur Radio Operators to communicate around the globe when all other types of communications fail.
Experience high frequency communications as you talk to people across the United States and around the world, use a hand held walkie-talkie to chat with other stations from around the bay, use a computer to communicate via packet radio or chat with the International Space Station via two-way radio… these are some of the exciting things you can do at this field day event.
Ham radio operators provide critical communications in emergencies worldwide. Locally your amateur radio operators provide essential communications during wildfires, earthquakes and other emergencies. In addition, ham radio operators support local event such as triathlons, bike races, horsing events, parades, county fairs and air shows.
Amateur Radio activity is actually growing in the United States with over a 30% increase in licensed operators in 2011. There are more than 700,000 Amateur Radio operators in the United States providing emergency communications for citizens, cities and counties in times of need with more than 2.7 million around the world.
The citizens of Santa Cruz County are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of amateur radio operators providing these important disaster communications capabilities.
UCSC Amateur Radio Club: In 2002 because of a radio frequency class taught by Stephen Petersen, PE, several students became interested in the role played by Amateur Radio in advancing the science of radio based communications and the sophisticated technology currently available. They all passed the FCC licensing exams in June just in time to participate in Field Day and the Ham Radio event was introduced to UCSC.
Since then, the University has hosted the event on the East Field section of the campus. The focus of UCSC Amateur Radio Club is training and educating newly licensed students in the art and science of Ham Radio and emergency communication. This year’s new crop of UCSC Amateur Radio operators will be participating in Field Day 2013 for the first time just as those Ham Slugs from 2002 who pioneered the event at UCSC.
- 2013 Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club FIELD DAY, Saturday and Sunday, June 22 & 23. The public is invited to visit Saturday, June 22 from Dawn to Dusk with radio operation beginning at approximately 11:00 am
- Site #1: CAL-FIRE Camp / Ben Lomond Youth Conservation Camp in Ben Lomond located approximately 10 miles North of Ben Lomond at 13575 Empire Grade.
- Site #2: UCSC Campus Lower East Field
Caution! Please bring water and sunscreen as there are no concessions at these sites.
Point of Contact: Suellene Petersen, UCSCARC, ARES & SCCARC PIO (Public Information Officer), 831-335-2662 or Email: K6CPA@arrl.net