'Ham radio' operators demonstrating their emergency capabilities at Belknap County Fairgrounds this weekend

Laconia "hams" will join with thousands of amateur radio operators who will be showing off their emergency

capabilities this weekend. Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America including the

California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events world-wide. During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio — often called "Ham radio" — was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and

hundreds of volunteer "hams" traveled south to save lives and property. When trouble is brewing, amateur radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications.

On the weekend of June 26 - 27, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with Laconia ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called "Field Day" is the climax of the week long "Amateur Radio Week" sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators

will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and back yards around the country. Their slogan, "Ham radio works when other systems don't! " is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 30,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year's event.

"We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather's radio anymore," said Allen Pitts of the ARRL. "The communications that ham radio people can quickly create have saved

many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded. And besides that — it’s fun!"

In the Belmont area, the Central NH Amateur Radio Club (CNHARC) will be demonstrating Amateur Radio at the Belknap County Fairgrounds located at the top of Mile Hill Road on June 26 and 27. They invite the public to come and see ham radio’s new capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.

To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to http://www.emergency-radio.org