MANSFIELD — HAM radio operators across the globe will attempt to communicate with each other during a 24-hour period at the end of June.
Danny Bailey, president of the InterCity Amateur Radio Club, said from 2 p.m. on June 28 to 2 p.m. on June 29, members of the IARC will gather together for their annual Amateur Radio Field Day exercise.
This year’s event will take place at Lions Club Park, 3708 Snodgrass Road in Mansfield.
“It is a 24-hour operation,” Bailey said. “We set up just in case there was to be a big disaster, we could see can Richland County reach other states and pass messages along and pass messages to whomever we need to in the county.
“That’s what’s going on that weekend, just a big national drill for all of us HAM radio operators,” he said.
In total, Bailey estimated hundreds or possibly thousands of amateur radio operators from around the world will try to speak with each other during the exercise.
Bailey — along with IARC Vice President Duane Meadows and ARRL Great Lakes Division Director Scott Yonally — met with Richland County commissioners on Thursday to discuss the weekend event.
Members of the public are encouraged to come and learn more about HAM radio, Bailey said.
Commissioners issued a proclamation on Thursday marking June 16-June 22 as Amateur Radio Week in Richland County.
“We know you guys have passion for the job and it’s actually very important should the need arise that people know how to utilize the radios,” Commissioner Tony Vero said.
Where did HAM come from?
It’s an acronym first applied in 1908, a play on the names of the operators of the first amateur wireless station — Albert Hyman, Bob Almy and Poogie Murray of the Harvard Radio Club.
Local HAMS volunteer in variety of ways
Yonally said the International Space Station is equipped with a HAM station, including two HAM operators currently on board.
“Normally there’s anywhere between two to five amateur radio operators on board the space station,” he said. “They will be active and actually participating in Field Day this year.”
Along with attempts to communicate with those in space, local HAMS also volunteer their time when disaster strikes.
When an F2 tornado struck Shelby in 2019, Meadows said he volunteered by assisting with ground security.
“There’s many businesses that got tore up, so we were over there to make sure everything was safe and of course we had radios that we could contact them if anything did happen,” he said.
Bailey included that the IARC helps organize and line up the Miss Ohio Parade, which is set to cruise down Park Avenue in Mansfield this coming Sunday.
IARC members line up contestants and communicate to the parade’s announcers who is coming up next.
“That’s one of the big things we do in the summertime,” Bailey said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Commissioners Cliff Mears and Darrell Banks thanked the trio for their efforts.
“When communications go down, we know who’s going to pick up,” Banks said.