The Marion Amateur Radio Club is holding their annual Field Day this weekend. From 2:00 pm Saturday to 2:00 pm Sunday, local radio enthusiasts will be at Sawyer-Ludwig Park providing demonstrations and the chance to try out this long-time hobby and emergency communication.
The event will include five stations with radio setups from computers and satellites to those using items found around the house, such as a bedspring. Guests are encouraged to sit down at a radio and try it out.
The event is free and serves as a way for the group to hone their skills and to introduce new people to the activity.
As part of the Field Day, the Marion County Commissioners proclaimed this week as Amateur Radio Week. In the proclamation, the Commissioners pointed to the services the volunteers provide, including storm spotting and emergency communications when all other forms of communicating have failed. The club also provides free radio communications for many events in the Marion area.
The Amateur Radio Club is also gearing up for their next round of classes to help people get their radio license. Those classes start in September and meet for one two-hour class per week for seven weeks. The cost is $25 for the book and organizers say there is no longer a Morse code requirement to the test.
For more information on the group, visit their website at www.marionhamradio.org.
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