Sussex County AuxComm invites you to participate in this weekend’s annual amateur radio Field Day activities. The facilities of station WS3EOC, located in the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center, located on the grounds of the Delaware Coastal Airport, 21911 Rudder Lane, Georgetown, DE 19947 will be open to all Saturday, noon – 8 pm and again Sunday 8 am – 2 pm.
The station will be operating as a Class F (Emergency Operations Center).
There is nothing in the rules that prevent you from operating from multiple stations over the weekend. So come join the fun!
Please contact John Ferguson 302-245-5469 or kb3hev@gmail.com
for more information or to reserve time to operate.
AUXCOMM is a communications system developed by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications that focuses on radio communications and provides a broad knowledge of the fundamental principles of communication systems used to support public safety and emergency response professionals and their agencies and aligns prescribed standards.
ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations. Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN! It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar. The contest part is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and to learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations and less than optimal conditions. We use these same skills when we help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls, and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities. But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they ARE so complex — ham radio has been called into action, again and again, to provide communications in crises when it really matters. Amateur Radio people (also called “hams”) are well known for our communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations.
What is the ARRL?
The American Radio Relay League is the national association for Amateur Radio in the USA, representing over 170,000 FCC-licensed Amateurs. The ARRL is the primary source of information about what is going on in ham radio. It provides books, news, support and information for individuals and clubs, special events, continuing education classes and other benefits for its members.
The Amateur Radio Service has been around for a century. In that time, it’s grown into a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. Its people range in age from youngsters to grandparents. Even rocket scientists and a rock star or two are in the ham ranks. Most, however, are just normal folks like you and me who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data, and pictures through the air to unusual places, both near and far, without depending on commercial systems. The Amateur Radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where you as an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications. Hams not only can make and modify their equipment but can create whole new ways to do things.
