Amateur radio operators from all around will gather in Flower Mound to show off their radios, educate the public and attempt to connect with other radios and the International Space Station.
The event will start at the Scout Troop 771 Barn in Flower Mound on Saturday at 1 p.m. and last until Sunday at noon.
Lewisville’s Amateur Radio Association is a club that is dedicated to promoting the radio “art” to the southern Denton County community and provides hands on training and assistance, according to its annual report.
Jim Lavin, the president of the club, said the annual field day event goes on across the entire United States and Canada, which gives radio users the ability to communicate with someone on the other side of the nation.
More than 31,000 amateur radios, or hams, participate annually and anyone is welcome to join, no matter what experience level.
“We’ll be operating morse code, single sideband and digital to make contact with users across the U.S. and the world,” he said.
However, it isn’t just a fun hobby.
Lavin said the event acts as a similar practice for a disastrous situation that could cause a power outage.
“One of the things a lot of people don’t think about is, when there is a disaster, there’s no power or cell towers,” he said. “So, we actually step in, and this is preparation for a disaster so we can make connections with local disaster teams.”
That includes setting up antennas and radios to practice communicating with different stations to send traffic back and forth in different modes.
A program called ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Services, practice more for situations like that.
Storm Spotters is another group that helps the National Weather Service when there is severe weather. They often report weather conditions in the community.
New users are welcome to come try to get on the air, even without a license.
Lavin said coaches will be there to walk new radio users through the process and allow them to make contact using radios.
He said there will also be Winlink, which he described as email over radio.
The club will also have someone at the event attempting to bounce radio waves off of satellites to make contact with the International Space Station.
Other than making radio connections, the event allows the community to enjoy the outdoors.
“A lot of folks just come out to visit and hangout,” said Lavin. “Some of the club members don’t even operate, they just sit around and talk and chat… and the community can learn about emergency preparedness and how to get a radio license.”
The event is usually hosted by the Lewisville Fire Station, but since it has been under construction, the has been held at the Troop 771 Scout Barn in Flower Mound, which Lavin said the group has been thankful for.
“It’s a really nice place to set up antennas and everything because there is plenty of space,” he said.
The group also does some work with the scouts, offering several merit badge counselors that work with them. Scouts have the opportunity to earn a radio merit badge.
Lavin said there is no need to register for the event, anyone is welcome to show up and learn, participate or just hang out.
For more information on the club, visit the Lewisville Amateur Radio Association website.
