Doing it ‘old school’

Ham radio operators test skills during yearly field day event

WARREN -- Communicating via ham radio with as many people as possible was the goal of members of the Warren Amateur Radio Association who gathered Saturday and Sunday at Mosquito Lake State Park.

The association took part in the Amateur Radio Relay League Summer Field Day operations, in coordination with many other amateur radio associations and clubs throughout Ohio and the entire United States of America.

There also was an event at the Mill Creek MetroParks Farm in Canfield this weekend sponsored by the Mahoning Valley Amateur Radio Association.

Steve Ruman of Niles, a member of the WARA since 2002, said all the radio clubs across the country tried communicating with as many people as possible, including satellite contacts, during the two-day event.

"It allows for practice if you were doing emergency calls. I think last year, we made 2,000 contacts on multiple frequencies by voice or with Morse code. The sounds are like dial tones from old phones. It's data being converted to sound and sent over the radio. Some communicate audibly with others and others do Morse code. There are still surprisingly a lot who still use Morse code," he said.

Ruman said during the 24 hours the association was at the park, there were visitors who stopped by to see what was taking place.

Ruman said his grandfather in 2002 got him interested in ham radio communication.

Michael Chambora of Warren, who started in 2018, said he is a technician, which is the entry-level license.

"I am the first one in my family to get a ham radio license. I started for SKYWARN spotting and reporting storms. When I was introduced to this, I liked it more than the storm spotting,'' he said.

Ronald Leckfor of Hubbard, vice president of the WARA, said he started in 2021 and likes the camaraderie of being outside with others on the radios.

He said WARA members allow interested persons to communicate with other amateur radio operators using the association's equipment.

"The expressed purpose of this activity is to practice and enhance our skills in quickly setting up and deploying emergency amateur radio communications that can reach locally, statewide, across the entire United States and to all points of the earth and beyond, including orbiting satellites and spacecraft and space stations such as the International Space Station," Leckfor said.

SCOUTS WATCH

One group of spectators included members of Boy Scout Troop 8 of Leavittsburg, who were working on their radio merit badges.

Leckfor said participants used 160-, 80-, 40-, 20-, 15- and 10-meter high frequency bands, as well as all permitted VHF, UHF, SHF and EHF bands 50 MHz and above.

Leckfor said he and others set up several amateur radio stations, operating totally off the grid using solar panels and generators, with quick field deployed antennas using poles or in tall trees, connected with cables.

Pete Kozup, a retired Warren teacher who now lives in Anchorage, Alaska, said he communicates with Morse code, which he said makes quick contact. He and his wife are back in the Warren area for a granddaughter's graduation in Newton Falls.

Jim Popovich of Lordstown said he also uses Morse code and has been a ham radio operator since the late 1960s.

"We are old school," he said.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted have proclaimed June 22 and 23 as Amateur Radio Operators' Appreciation Days.