ARRL Field Day 2010 - June 26-27
This year's GSBARC Field Day Coordinator's are: John Melfi, W2HCB and John Cresson, W2JGH
(Sign from 2005 Field Day)Listen for W2GSB, and GOTA Station, W2TOB
Field Day is a nationwide emergency preparedness exercise that is held every year on the 4th full weekend in June that is sponsored by the ARRL, which is the National Association for Amateur Radio. The object is to set up radio stations and make as many contacts over the radio as possible using only emergency power sources (batteries and generators, no commercial power). Some people operate from their homes. Others operate from tents in the middle of a field (major storms can destroy buildings). A few even operate out of their cars. Thousands of amateur radio operators across the U.S. and Canada participate every year. There are 660,000 Amateur Radio operators in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL, ham volunteers provide emergency communications for the Department of Homeland Security and its Citizen's Corps, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, FEMA and thousands of state and local agencies, all for free. Their slogan "When all else fails," is more than just words to hams they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis.
GSBARC holds its Field Day activities every year at the Babylon Town Hall in North Lindenhurst, on the east lawn. Setup starts at 7 AM on Saturday with on the air operations beginning at 2 P.M., and continuing to 2 P.M. on Sunday, when everything is taken down. There are many different types of operation during the event. There are several HF radios set up. Packet radio and satellite operations are also done. We also set up a GOTA Station which is for new operators and those that have not been active for awhile to setup and operate. Power for the stations to operate is provided by propane powered generators to simulate actual emergency conditions.
Officials of the Town of Babylon and the Emergency Management Office will be present during the operation of Field Day. Town Hall is the site of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of the Town and that is why we will be operating as a Class F operation. Field Day is part of the annual emergency preparedness planning of Babylon Town. Everyone is welcome to attend whether you are licensed or just interested in finding out more about the emergency preparedness of the Town of Babylon. We welcome the public to come down and see ham radio's capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.
"The communications networks that ham radio operators can quickly create have saved many lives in the past few months when other systems failed or were overloaded," said Allen Pitts of the ARRL. "We hope that people will come and see for themselves, that this is not your grandfather's radio anymore."
