In this photo submitted by the Parkersburg Amateur Radio Club, Dave Hanes, KE8RBY, uses a homemade compressed-air antenna launcher to secure lines used to suspend antennas from trees. Nicknamed “The Howitzer,” the device is used at the amateur radio Field Day event or during emergency situations when quick deployment of antennas for communications is needed. (Photo provided)

PARKERSBURG – Amateur radio operators will be on the air for 24 consecutive hours from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday for the American Radio Relay League’s Field Day, including multiple sites in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

“Always on the fourth weekend of June, P.A.R.K (Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub) members and friends join tens of thousands of other ham-radio operators for ARRL Field Day,” P.A.R.K. President Larry Dale said in a press release.

The ARRL on its website describes Field Day as “ham radio’s open house,” an annual event since 1933.

“Every June, more than 31,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation,” the group says at arrl.org.

There will be two Wood County Field Day site locations. The P.A.R.K. will be set up at Fort Boreman Park, while Parkersburg and Wood County Emergency Communications will be at Hendershot Farm Drive, off of Rising Sun Ridge, five miles off of Old St Marys Pike. Washington and Meigs County have sites that will be active as well.

Field Day sites can be found online at www.arrl.org/field-day-locator.

“No matter where you live or where you may be vacationing, there’s a Field Day site nearby,” Dale said.

All ham radio operators must have a valid Federal Communications Commission-issued license. The FCC and the ARRL developed volunteer exam coordinators and use the help of volunteer examiners to administer the testing. There is a fee charged for administering the exam.

Dale noted that the question pool for technician class licenses was recently revised, with the changes going into effect on July 1.

“If anyone has been studying for their ‘tech license,’ we’re offering test sessions at the WCEC Field Day site this weekend – using the current question pool,” he said. “Other test elements for general and extra class licenses will be available too.”

More information about ham radio is available on P.A.R.K. webpage, w8par.org.