Winter Field Day WPBARG Press Release

[Michael M]

From Ed WX2R:

January 22, 2025
Contact:
Ed Efchak
802-282-6700
WX2R@arrl.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Winter Field Day 2025 Demonstrates Emergency Communications
and Local Public Service Through Amateur Radio

Members of the West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group will be participating in the national Winter Amateur Radio Field Day exercise, beginning Saturday, January 25th at 11 AM and ending on Sunday at 5PM. The venue will be at Phipps Park, 4715 South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. The public are invited to attend, participate and learn more about the hobby.

The annual event, sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association (WFDA), is a great opportunity to prepare for the national ARRL Field Day exercise in June. The event’s stated purpose is to encourage emergency operating preparedness in the winter. According to the WFDA, getting ready for emergency communication in a winter environment is just as important as the preparations and practice that take place each June during ARRL Field Day.

For over 100 years, Amateur Radio — sometimes called ham radio — has allowed people from all walks of life to experiment with electronics and communications techniques, as well as providing a free public service to their communities during a disaster, all without needing a cell phone or the Internet. Winter Field Day demonstrates ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent communications network. Ham operators train and prepare to support emergency communications by providing radio links when other communications channels aren't working. A highlight will be a series of contacts with a partner club outside of New York City which includes a planned contact via satellite.

This year's Winter event is an annual event for the West Palm Beach club, one of the largest in South Florida. “In disasters, we've learned that cell towers won't work, and ham operators play a huge role when that happens.” said Michael Fischer KA4VB, this year’s Winter Field Day chair. “Ham radio functions completely independent of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. That’s the beauty of amateur radio during a communications outage. Hams can literally throw a wire in a tree for an antenna, connect it to a battery-powered transmitter and communicate halfway around the world,” Fischer added. "In today’s electronic do-it-yourself (DIY) environment, ham radio remains one of the best ways for people to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology, and numerous other scientific disciplines, and is a huge asset to any community during disasters if the standard communication infrastructure goes down. While we are fortunate to have warm weather, it is important to maintain operating skills and work closely with other groups across the country. Amateur radio, regardless of the season, remains contemporary and more important than ever" Fischer noted.

Anyone may become a licensed Amateur Radio operator; there are more licensed US operators today than ever before. And with clubs such as West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group, it’s easy for anybody to get involved in the area. The club meets monthly at the Cox Science Center in West Palm Beach.

For more information contact Ed Efchak at 802-282-6700 or visit the local club website at www.wpbarg.com. ###

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