June 19, 2006

Ham radio operators taking part in national exercise June 23-25

UCSC's Baskin School of Engineering is sponsoring a team of faculty and students who will take part in the annual Amateur Radio Field Day contest June 23-25. Field Day is an emergency preparedness exercise dating back to the 1930s during which ham radio operators set up temporary field radio stations. Using only emergency power (generator, battery, solar, or similar options), teams make contact with other stations all over the country and around the world using a multitude of radio modes. The goal is to contact as many participating radio operators throughout the world using voice, Morse-code, digital, and satellite communications.

The UCSC team will set up at the grassy knoll on the edge of the East Field starting Friday afternoon, June 23. Radio operations begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and end at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Visitors are welcome to stop by and see what amateur radio is all about. Everyone is invited to participate and make contacts across the world with the guidance of licensed operators. UCSC students and faculty have been participating in this event since 2002. In advance of Field Day, the engineering school will be sponsoring several licensing exams for anyone interested in getting an amateur radio license.

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