MANSFIELD — Danny Bailey hopes to talk to the International Space Station this weekend.
Bailey will be joined at South Park in Mansfield by other members of the Intercity Amateur Radio Club, an organization of HAM radio operators, who will gather together for their annual Amateur Radio Field Day exercise on Saturday and Sunday.
Bailey, a leader in the organization, met with Richland County commissioners on Thursday to discuss the weekend event, encouraging members of the public to come and learn more about HAM radio.
For those wondering where HAM came 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.
There are now 503 licensed amateur radio operators in Richland County, all of whom donate their communication services for free during emergencies and big events. That’s up from 478 in 2023.
The local gathering will be synced with the event throughout North America affiliated with the National Association for Amateur Radio. ARRL Field Day is always held on the fourth full weekend in June.
More than 40,000 HAMS throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to their communities and nation.
It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.
County commissioners issued a proclamation on Thursday marking June 16-June 22 as Amateur Radio Week in Richland County.
(Below is a PDF of the proclamation issued by Richland County commissioners Thursday.)
HAMS will spend the weekend showing their equipment and techniques to the public Saturday from 2 p.m. to Sunday at 2 p.m.
One of the goals is to contact as many stations around the globe as possible and to also learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions.
Bailey said he made contact with ISS about five years ago and plans to make an attempt again this year as the station travels through space above North America.
“It’s a real fast contact,” he said. “You only have about a 10-minute window.
“You have got to make it fast because you have got people all around the world trying to contact them at the same time we are.”
According to the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station website, “Some ISS crew members make random, unscheduled, amateur radio voice contacts with earth-bound radio amateurs. They can make radio contacts during their breaks, pre-sleep time and before and after mealtime. Astronauts have contacted thousands of hams around the world.”
In addition to space chat, Bailey said the local HAMS stay busy learning their communications craft and donating time to assist, especially when disaster strikes.
Bailey said many local radio operators also assist with things like the SkyWarn program. He assisted this spring, for example, when a tornado struck near the Plymouth area.
“I got a call (the tornado) was over by New Washington (headed east). I headed up to Plymouth and was about 10 minutes behind it (after it touched down in Richland County),” he said.
