Members of the Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club will participate in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise from June 26 at 2 p.m.through June 27 at 2 p.m. at the North Fort Myers Community Park.

The event takes place outdoors, is open to the public and everyone is invited to attend.

Since 1933, Amateur Radio operators across North America have established temporary radio stations in public locations during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of Amateur Radio. Operators often work in isolation honing their skills and capabilities. They volunteer these techniques when supporting the community during incidents and events. Although they recently have been physically isolated due to COVID-19, they can communicate with each other using their radios.

For more than 100 years, Amateur Radio – sometimes called ham radio – has allowed people from all walks of life to experiment with electronics and communications techniques, as well as provide a free public service to their communities during a disaster, all without needing a cellular phone or the Internet. Operators can introduce others to amateur radio, explain how it works, and provide education to students, scouts, and other interested persons.

Amateur radio can function independently of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure, interface with tablets or smartphones, and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. This concept has been effectively applied in many emergencies and their aftermath.

Field Day demonstrates ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent communications network. More than 35,000 people from thousands of locations participate in Field Day each year.

Anyone may become a licensed Amateur Radio operator. There are more than 779,000 licensed hams in the United States, ranging in ages from 5 to over 100. Clubs such as the Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club, make it easy for anybody to get involved right here in the Fort Myers Area.

The North Fort Myers Community Park is at 2000 N. Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers.

For more information about Field Day, visit fmarc.net, arrl.org, or contact John Wells at pio@fmarc.net.