Ham radio operators to hold field day

Amateur radio operators from around Nassau County and members of the Nassau Amateur Radio Club will assemble at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow this weekend, June 23 to 24, to practice for emergencies.

The ham radio operators will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities at the park’s parking field No. 8, near Stewart Avenue, starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday and ending at 2 p.m. Sunday. The operators will be showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code.

The event is part of field day, a national exercise coordinated by the American Radio Relay League, the national organization of radio amateurs. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event, organizers said.

Hams use their own equipment to help provide additional communications in emergencies to the Red Cross, Nassau County, the United States Weather Bureau and other agencies, all for free. There are more than 650,000 amateur radio licensees in the United States, according to the amateur group.

To learn more about amateur radio, go to emergency-radio.org.

Photo: Andrew Kirschenbeum of West Hempstead gives a free radio tune up during a LIMARC Ham Fair at Briarcliffe College in Bethpage. (June 3, 2012)