The Hidden Valleys Amateur Radio Club and the UW–Platteville Amateur Radio Club will participate in the U.S. ham radio Field Day June 22–23.

The two clubs are Federal Communications Commission-licensed amateur radio operators, or “hams,” from the Tri-State area. More than 100,000 U.S. hams will observe their annual Field Day on Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23.

Field Day is an emergency exercise in which hams assemble a radio station away from their homes using alternative power sources such as batteries, portable generators, or solar energy for 24 hours from Saturday at 1 p.m. until Sunday at 1 p.m. They will be making as many contacts in the U.S. and foreign countries as possible.

HVARC and UWPARC will set up these emergency equipped stations in the parking lot across from the new engineering building on the UW–Platteville campus on the corner of Southwest Road and Longhorn Drive. The club will be operating two stations using portable towers and various types of antennas to communicate via the ionosphere using single sideband, frequency modulation (FM), digital communication, and Morse code.

One station will be available to let visitors make contacts under the supervision of licensed FCC ham operators.  A demonstration of communication through an amateur radio satellite will be given from Sunday from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.

HVARC and UWPARC members have been involved in a number of public service events, including serving as trained weather spotters when needed, participating in local and state emergency drills and received training in sending and receiving formal messages, and assisting with communications at various bike and walking events.

For more information about the clubs and how to become an amateur radio operator, go to www.qsl.net/kc9kq or contact Paul DeWitte, 330-3666, or Ron Niemann, 558-9526, ron.niemann@prairieoaks.com.