Are you interested in learning more about the ham radio hobby, also known as amateur radio? Ham radio allows people to connect across towns, countries and continents using only radio waves — no phone lines or internet connections required.

To help introduce others to the hobby, Elk County Amateur Radio Association will host its annual Field Day celebration. This event, known as ham radio’s open house, highlights just how ham radio works and why it is important to our community.

Field Day will be held from 2 p.m. June 28 to 2 p.m. June 29 at the Lewis Camp on Bingham Road in Ridgway.

Since 1933, ham radio aficionados have celebrated Field Day. It remains one of the most popular ham radio events all year long. During Field Day, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmission stations in public places, aiming to demonstrate the skill, science and community service that ham radio operators exemplify.

More than 35,000 people from thousands of locations participated in Field Day 2024, and even more are expected this year.

Ham radio combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach and technical skills. They can operate in emergency conditions where a cell phone would not work. As such, it is a lifeline during natural disasters and power outages.

“It’s easy for anyone to pick up a computer or smartphone, connect to the Internet and communicate with no knowledge of how the devices function or connect to each other,” said David Isgur, communications manager for the American Radio Relay League, a national association for amateur radio.

Ham radio’s type of direct, independent communication continues to be a fun and empowering hobby. Many people with ham radios volunteer with emergency services and form a key part of community safety.

“If there’s an interruption of service or you’re out of range of a cell tower, you have no way to communicate,” said Isgur. “Ham radio functions completely independently of the internet or cell phone infrastructure, can interface with tablets or smartphones and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes.”

Field Day setup will be Friday evening, June 28. Antennas and radio will be available. Teardown will be held at 3 p.m. June 29. Any club members who can are asked to help set up or tear down.

“Hams can literally throw a wire in a tree for an antenna, connect to a battery powered transmitter and communicate halfway around the world,” Isgur said. “Hams do this by using a layer of Earth’s atmosphere as a sort of mirror for radio waves.”

Ham radio remains one of the best ways to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology and numerous other scientific disciplines, Isgur pointed out.

“Amateur radio is a huge asset to any community during disasters or emergencies if the standard communication infrastructure goes down,” Isgur said.

The annual ECARA club picnic will begin at 3 p.m. June 29, immediately following the teardown of Field Day. Club members and friends are asked to provide their own drinks and bring a dish to pass.

Anyone can become a licensed amateur radio operator. There are more than 725,000 licensed ham operators in the United States. For those interested in becoming licensed, a test session will be held at 9:30 a.m. June 21 at Hallton Church, Evergreen Drive in Ridgway. There is no charge. Those being tested should bring two forms of ID, at least one of them a photo ID. All license classes will be given.

Anyone who wants to learn more about amateur radio is encouraged to contact Shari Lewis at kb3ewt@gmail.com.