Ham radio operators hold summer field day
Gone are the days when ham radio operators operated out of their basement on old-time equipment that looked like it came from the 1930s.
Today, ham radio is state of the art. It uses computers and modern equipment to hear from people all over the world. This is a good thing, since during an emergency such as a hurricane when all the power and cell phone towers are out, it often can be the only way to communicate.
On Saturday, under the concession stand near the football field at North Fort Myers Community Park, dozens of radio operators gathered to test their skills in the event of an emergency.
The Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club hosted the American Radio Relay League Field Day, an annual nationwide emergency preparedness exercise and public outreach event demonstrating the critical role of amateur radio in post-disaster recovery.
A record number of operators came to participate in the event as numerous antennas were erected near the football field and portable generators gave power to the equipment.
Carmine Petrano, president of FMARC, said they wanted to exercise their equipment and speak with other operators to make sure they can reach everybody they need to reach.
“It’s preparation for an emergency and it’s also a contest. Lee County is blessed to have 1,500 operators,” Petrano said. “Not all of them are very active but we’re getting more activity from more ham operators, which would be very beneficial to the county.”
When traditional communication infrastructure fails, amateur radio becomes an indispensable lifeline. This event highlights the resilience and resourcefulness of amateur radio operators and their ability to provide vital communication services during emergencies and disaster recovery efforts.
The 24-hour event showcased how amateur radio can function under emergency-like conditions, utilizing emergency power and deployable antennas. Visitors had the opportunity to observe operations, ask questions, and even get on the air under supervision.
FMARC, a volunteer group of licensed ham radio operators affiliated with the ARRL, the national association for amateur radio. Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, who provide backup communication systems during emergencies, also participated.
Jeff Kennedy, spokesperson for Lee County AREAS, said they are independent of any other service. They can run on emergency power and can communicate anywhere.
“The reason Lee County likes having ham operators around is because we’re a great backup. Here, we have an outdoor location where we won’t get rained on,” Kennedy said. “We have expensive equipment that all belongs to these individuals.”
The amateur operators simulated emergency conditions and worked remotely from a location in an attempt to reach fellow operators nationwide. The group is awarded points for each operator they reach in a certain area.
It also serves as an educational opportunity for the public to understand the importance of amateur radio preparedness.
Many of these operators have been deployed during emergencies. During Hurricane Ian, operators were located at emergency shelters and at Lee County Emergency Management, relaying important information after power and the cell towers went down.
Radio operators were also in their communities, relaying information to emergency crews in the event someone had a health condition and needed to get to the hospital.
Tom and Kathy Provenzano came to put their skills to the test. Kathy is a relative novice, having worked ham radios for a year. Tom had started ham radio in 1960 and stopped for a while before coming back to it.
“We went to the winter field day in January and nearly froze to death. We love getting out with our club and I’m new at this,” Kathy said. “I like that you can talk to people all over the world. I contacted China, Russia, Japan, Australia…”
“What I like about this event is it allows us to practice our emergency activation skills. We’ve activated two hurricane stations over the past several years at shelters,” Tom said. “When all else fails, ham radio will always be there.”
This story appears in the latest issue of the North Fort Myers Neighbor Living magazine, available at locations throughout North Fort Myers.