What: Ham Radio Field Day
When: Early tent setup is at sundown Friday, June 21; operation of ham radio is from 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 22, to Sunday, June 23
Where: East Field (near East Field House on Hagar Drive), overlooking the Bay, University of California, Santa Cruz
The UCSC student branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (http://ieee.soe.ucsc.edu/ham) will be participating in Field Day, a three-day nationwide exercise and contest for ham radio operators organized annually by the amateur radio organization, the American Radio Relay League. Field Day is geared toward emergency preparedness, but scoring is also involved. Individuals or teams receive points for every contact made--one point for voice, and two points for Morse code. The UCSC team is capable of communicating both by voice and Morse code. Bonus points will also be assigned for such things as using alternate forms of communication.
UCSC's team of faculty, staff and students will set up at sundown Friday, June 21, in UCSC's East Field and camp out overnight. In addition to a few tents, the site will sprout some large antennas.
Field Day got its start as emergency preparedness training back in 1933, and continues to play a role in emergency communications. During Field Day, participants operate one or more amateur radio stations from a field location--such as from tents using generator power and portable equipment--to simulate emergency operation. Members of the community are invited to drop by on Saturday and Sunday to find out more about ham radio.
"We hope that this event will become an annual tradition at UCSC, bringing together faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the Santa Cruz community for a weekend of talking to the world," said Robert L. Vitale, electrical engineer and laboratory manager at Baskin Engineering.
