Organizations Invite Community To Learn About Ham Radio

Looking back on a Winter Field Day event, Ralph Hess, president of Red Rose Repeater Association (RRR), recalled a story about a gentleman, a newcomer to the hobby, who helped him set up antennas for amateur, ham for short, radio operation. "We got the antenna hooked to the radio, and I threw out my call sign and a (ham) got back to me from Poland," said Hess, who added that the gentleman was astounded. "He said, 'That piece of wire I just touched let you talk to Poland?'" Hess relayed. Hess used an internet program to confirm the contact.

The 2023 event, presented by a partnership between RRR and the Winter Field Day Association, will be held at the Welsh Mountain Community Center and Park, 564 Sandmine Road, New Holland. The group will begin to set up antennas at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, and the event will officially begin at 2 p.m. Winter Field Day will end at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29. The event is held for 24 hours to include radio operators from all time zones. Newly licensed and inexperienced operators as well as those with an interest in the hobby are encouraged to attend. There is no cost to participate, and visitors are welcome to drop in anytime and bring sleeping bags or cots if they plan to stay overnight in the center.

Several seminars will be offered during the event. At 10 a.m. on Jan. 28, Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) will give a presentation. Hess noted that the organization practices emergency drills for the closed Three Mile Island and the functioning Peach Bottom nuclear power plants because ham radios continue to operate when cellphones cannot and in areas where cell services may be limited.

Additional workshops will instruct attendees in how to build three types of two-meter antennas and one HF (high frequency) antenna. There is a nominal fee to build antennas to cover the costs of materials.

Presently, there are 50 licensed ham radio operators in the New Holland ZIP code and more than 1,500 in the county. Hess believes a chance to converse internationally attracts many to the hobby. "We will be operating under our club call sign, so ... anybody can come up and operate," he said. "I can almost guarantee we will find someone outside the U.S. to talk to." Hess noted that many visitors react positively to hearing a voice from another country over the radio. "People's faces just light up," he said.

Readers who would like more information may visit http://www.w3rrr.org or email W3COB@arrl.net.