Brownwood Amateur Radio Club operators will participate in the National Field Day Event this weekend across from the Brownwood Regional Medical Center at Memorial Park, and the public is invited to attend. The event is sanctioned by the American Radio Relay League.

The club is required to operate on their own power generators, and no city electrical power is allowed. The event challenges the local ham radio operators, also known as the “SKYWARN Weather Spotters”, to show their resourcefulness and capabilities of establishing communications across north and south America, Canada, Mexico, and the world via the amateur radio bands. The public is invited to stop by and “get on the air”.

The event is also a contest between their members, to see how many contacts they can make with other stations and to learn to operate the radio gear in abnormal situations and in less than optimal conditions.

It’s the public’s chance to talk to someone in another town, state, or on another continent. The event will run this weekend, continuously from 1pm Saturday through 1pm Sunday at the American Legion Hall, across from Brownwood Regional Medical Center.

“A station will be set up specifically for first time users, and they will also be serving hamburgers around 5:00 pm,” stated Brown County Public Health Preparedness Coordinator  Emily Gore . “This is a great opportunity to see some of our response partners in action and a fun way to spend the afternoon with your family.”

According to the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada.  On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.  The ARRL use the event as an opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public, highlighting their many roles.