Amateur radio field day open house program set for Saturday

RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) Team Field Day activities are scheduled for this weekend at the Putnam County Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

A general open house is scheduled from 2-6 p.m. Saturday during which tours will be given of the EOC, located south of Greencastle at the dispatch center on County Road 225 South.

Field day activity will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday with amateur radio testing. Then at 2 p.m. Field Day for amateur radio will commence and continue until noon on Sunday. All persons interested in amateur radio are invited to participate.

Four high-frequency (HF) radios will be going to join the worldwide contest that occurs on Field Day. Anyone interested will get an opportunity to use a radio.

The contest involves earning points for the number of different contacts made worldwide with other amateur stations, the more contacts the more points.

The team also get points for the number of guests using its radios, getting bonus points for children, certain government officials and the types of set-up used, Putnam County 911 director and Putnam County EMA assistant director David Costin said.

"For us, it is good practice in the event the day should occur that amateur radio is ever needed for a disaster," Costin said.