Winnebago County ham radio operators prepare for nationwide test

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Amateur radio operators from around the country will participate in a nationwide test on Saturday. In the event of a power and cell tower outage, ham radio becomes an efficient way to keep communication lines open.

Ham radio operators will participate in a 24-hour “AARL Ham Radio Field Day” on June 28th – 29th.

During this event, operators test their skills and equipment by running solely on emergency power. They check in with radio stations across the county to test the reliability of the system.

Ham radio uses a limited set of frequency bands. The term comes from a derogatory 19th-century term to mock telegraph operators with “ham-fisted” skills at sending Morse code. The amateur radio community later adopted the term as a label of pride.

Several Field Days events will be held among ham radio clubs starting at 1 p.m. on June 28th.

• Rockford: YMCA Camp Winnebago, 5804 N. Main St.
• Greater Beloit: Janesville Fire Training Center, 3000 N County F.

For other locations, click here and for more information on Field Day click here.

• Greater Beloit Amateur Radio Club (Beloit, WI): https://www.rockhamradio.com/gbarc
• Big Thunder Amateur Radio Club (Belvidere, IL): https://www.wa9gwm.org/
• Northwest Amateur Radio Club (Freeport, Illinois): https://nwiarc.tripod.com/
• Rockford Amateur Radio Association (Rockford, IL): https://w9axd.org/

There are more than 2,000 licensed amateur radio operators in Winnebago County. For those interested in joining the National Association of Amateur Radio, visit their website.