This past weekend, members of Hamilton County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service and the Central Indiana Amateur Radio Association were “off the grid” for 24 hours to test their equipment and abilities to send messages in the event of accidents or disasters.
Eric Eilers (foreground) and Mike Alley, members of the Hamilton County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, test their “off-the-grid” communications capabilities in the EMA Communications trailer during this past weekend’s 24-hour Field Day exercise. (Photo provided by Joe March)
The annual Field Day, coordinated by AARL, the national association for Amateur Radio, was open to the public on the grounds of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in Noblesville. Field Day is meant to showcase how Amateur Radio works reliably under any conditions from almost any location to create an independent communications network.
The exercises allowed amateur radio operators to communicate with other “ham” radio operators around the country. By using digital, voice and Morse code modes and generators, batteries and solar power, operators were able to test their skills in the event the electrical grid and traditional communications technologies are not accessible.
For more information about Amateur Radio, contact Joe March, KJ9M via email at kj9m@arrl.net or visit arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.