2024 Tonto Amateur Radio Field Day
Radio Field Day – an exercise in Portable Emergency Communications
Where: Ponderosa Bible Church 1800 N Beeline Hwy, Payson (S of Home Depot)
When: Saturday, June 22, 2024 – 9 AM to Noon!
- Portable Radio Set-ups
- Local Emergency Networks (How to use)
- GMRS – Radio for ‘The Rest of Us’
- How to operate on Solar Power & Batteries
- Social Pot-Luck, BBQ at lunchtime
- FCC Amateur Radio License Testing (9:00am)
- What do you need in a “Comms Go-Kit”?
- Compete in the Go Kit Challenge—Prizes!!!
- Exhibits on Radio and Electronics
- Learn about Local Volunteer Emergency Communications
Listen to Rick KJ7ROX talk about Field Day on KPJM FM!
TONTO AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION TO HOST PORTABLE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION DEMONSTRATIONS
Local Payson area ham radio club, Tonto Amateur Radio Association (TARA), will host a portable emergency communications demonstration as part of a national “Amateur Radio Field Day.” The event is part of ARRL Field Day (www.arrl.org/FieldDay), an annual amateur radio activity organized by The American Radio Relay League since 1933.
TARA’s FREE event will be held at the Ponderosa Bible Church located at 1800 N. Beeline Hwy, Payson, AZ. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
This year’s event will focus on how Payson area communities can use radio for emergency communications including forming neighborhood radio watch groups, disaster preparedness communications and GMRS (General Mobile Radio System) radio communications that only requires a $35 license and does not require taking an FCC test as ham radio operators are required. Radios used to talk over public GMRS frequencies are commonly used by outdoor enthusiasts like hikers, mountain bikers and 4×4 trail riders.
“GMRS radios are very useful and can be used for simple, short range point-to-point communications, as well as over greater distances using radio repeaters which enable neighborhood groups to communicate when all else fails,” said Rick Lovdahl (KJ7ROX), President of Payson’s TARA Ham Radio Club and founder of the Beaver Valley Neighborhood Radio Watch group. “The purpose of our Field Day event is to share knowledge about all types of radio communications, GMRS and also tools and techniques used by licensed amateur radio operators.
Additionally, the TARA Ham Club will be hosting a number of activities including FCC Amateur License Testing (9 a.m. to 12 Noon), The Radio Go-Box Challenge, and a variety of displays featuring GMRS and Amateur Radio in use. TARA’s Field Day event will be followed by a pot- luck BBQ at about noon.
During ARRL Field Day 2023, more than 28,000 hams participated from thousands of locations across North America. According to ARRL, there are more than 750,000 amateur radio licensees in the US, and an estimated 3 million worldwide. Among the tenets of the Amateur Radio Service is developing and practicing skills in radio technology and radio communications, and even contributing to international goodwill. Hams range in age from as young as 9 to older than 100.
Download the Go-Kit Challenge Rules!