Every June since 1933, more than 40,000 amateur radio operators nationwide operate ham radios from remote locations, and this year, members of the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club are once again participating in the Amateur Radio Field Day exercise June 22-23 at SCV Water in Saugus.
Across the nation, operators will be establishing temporary ham radio stations to showcase the science behind amateur radio and make contacts worldwide, according to club member Kristine Wiscarson. W6JW, SCV’s club, has been participating in the exercise for at least 20 years.
“It’s being done all over the world, and we kind of make it an open house, so the public can come and see what ham radio is all about,” Wiscarson said. “When cell towers go down, ham radio is still up, so it’s a good skill to have in your back pocket.”
The event, which is open to the public and free to attend, is a way for operators to practice their technical skills and emergency preparedness, while showing the public what amateur radio can do, Wiscarson said.
W6JW is typically able to connect with someone from each of the 50 states during the exercise, and sometimes can even connect to unique frequencies, like the USS Hornet, which Wiscarson was able to connect to two years ago.
The Field Day exercise is scheduled 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 22 and 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 23, at SCV Water, located at 27234 Bouquet Canyon Road in Saugus near Central Park. For more information, visit w6jw.org.
