LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – Amateur radio enthusiasts across the United States are gathering this weekend to talk and teach others about radio communication as part of Field Day, an annual event that highlights the importance of ham radio operations.
The Northwest Ohio Amateur Radio Club set up a temporary station for the occasion, inviting the public to learn what it takes to operate a ham radio—an essential skill in the event of a disaster where traditional cell phone or landline service may fail.
“This is a nationwide event sponsored by the Amateur Radio Relay League, where we practice for emergencies,” said Cliff Barber, treasurer of the Northwest Ohio Amateur Radio Club. “Everything that you see here today is operating completely off the grid, whether it’s solar or battery power.”
As part of the event, organizers launched a PICO balloon, a tiny, trackable device designed for high-altitude, long-distance flight.
“Today we launched a PICO balloon,” said Tom Graham, a radio enthusiast. “The PICO balloons are small devices—they call them ‘PICO’ because they’re tiny. They weigh just two grams, about the same as two quarters. That balloon we just launched has the possibility to travel around the Earth. There are balloons in the air that have done that and are built just like this one.”
There are more than 700,000 licensed amateur radio operators in the United States. To learn more about becoming a ham radio operator, visit arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.
