The Brownwood Amateur Radio Club (BARC) will participate in the National Field Day exercise this weekend. The event is sanctioned by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in Newington, Connecticut.
“The Field Day event is a nationwide competition that tests and demonstrates Ham radio operators’ unique ability to operate independent of commercial power from the electric company,” BARC President Billy Sharp said. “Our Ham radio operators use generators, wind, and solar sources to provide power to operate the radio equipment to contact other Ham radio operators across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The number of individual contacts adds points to determine a total score at the end of the event.”
Sharp added that the club receives extra points for alternative power sources such as solar and wind energy. The Brownwood group will operate on frequencies in the 7 and 14 megahertz bands, as well is VHF and UHF frequencies in voice and digital modes. The club also receives extra points for any elected officials that stop by during Field Day. BARC Field Day Coordinator Jerry Wetherholt said there will be a GOTA (Get on the Air) station set up for the public to actually get on the air and talk across the country to someone else operating a GOTA station.
BARC will begin operating at 7:00am Saturday, June 23, and wrap up the 2012 Field Day at 1:00pm Sunday, June 24, at the Brown County American Red Cross building, across from the Depot in Brownwood. The public is invited to attend and participate, and get a look into the inner-workings of Amateur (Ham) Radio and Brown County Skywarn Weather-Spotters, and the Brown County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES). Information will also be available on how to become a licensed Amateur (Ham) Radio operator, and club-sponsored radio classes.
For more information, contact BARC President Billy Sharp at 325-200-2434, BARC Secretary Mike Isbell at 325-647-3616, or VE Test Session Coordinator John Lawson at 325-647-8378.
Pictured above is a Brownwood Amateur Radio Club (BARC) member during a previous year’s field day.