From 11 a.m. Saturday June 28 to 2p.m. Sunday June 29, the Coquitlam and New Westminster Amateur Club amateur radio clubs along with the 39 Signal Regiment will jointly conduct their annual Field Day at Coquitlam’s Blue Mountain Park, located at 975 King Albert Avenue. The public is invited to stop by the Porter Street side of the Park to watch local radio amateurs of all ages as they set up antennas and radio equipment and make contacts with other operators from not only the Lower Mainland, but also from the thousands of local clubs across North America that will be active.

In previous years, more than 40,000 operators tested their skills in this most popular event of the “ham radio” calendar, which has been held annually in North America since 1933. Using the call sign VE7SCC, operators will exchange contact information on radio voice bands, as well as by modern digital modes and by using morse code. The exercises are a field test of the ability to perform mutual aid and support municipal and provincial government agencies in response to an earthquake, tsunami, floods, or other disasters. Amateur radio operators are certified and issued their licenses by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. For those interested in becoming a operator, we will have a “Get on the Air” (GOTA) station in order to introduce you with operating techniques, equipment and more. There will also be a demonstration of QRP (low power) operation, which is the challenge to make contacts using a minimal five watts of transmitter power, and there will also be radio operation using power from solar-charged batteries. The emergency services mandate is to run autonomously in the event of emergencies in which power, telephone, internet and other civil services have been damaged. Using radios and computer software, radio amateurs connect and record activity with other stations inside and outside of the disaster area, including radio stations around the world.

Locally, amateur radio organizations provide backup communication for municipalities and the Province, and are an integral component of the planning, response and recovery during the first 72 hours of an emergency. Members who volunteer with the BC Ministry of Emergency Management & Climate Readiness (EMCR) are vetted and are issued Provincial identification.

We will be located at Coquitlam’s Blue Mountain Park.