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College Camp radio on Hoffman Road in Oneonta rattled radio chatter across the country on Saturday and Sunday, as local bands participated in the annual American Broadcasting League Day.
The event, presented for the first time by the Catskill Transmitters Radio Club site owned by SUNY Oneonta, offers amateur radio enthusiasts an opportunity to showcase their technology and share why radio remains important. The field day began in 1933 and it is estimated that 40,000 North American fans participate each year in this two-day event.
According to ARRL press materials, Field Day "combines public service, emergency preparedness, community awareness and technical skills into one event."
"The whole country is doing it," said Anmari Linardi of Oneonta. "This day is very important and our most popular event, it is the busiest (the waves) throughout the year."
Linardi, an authorized operator since 2010, is the secretary of Catskill Transmitters Radio Club, which has eight members, and is part of the Oneonta Amateur Radio Club, which has 32 members. Local groups, she said, have planned to participate in the Field Festival for about six months.
Ken Leonard, resident of Davenport, also a member of both clubs, said, "We are doing it because we are happy to promote amateur radio and improve our skills.
Milford of Schenevus, a trustee of the Catskills Radio Transmitter Club, added, "It's part of the public service and making sure the public is aware of what we are capable of.
Prior to Saturday, Milford said, groups in the Oneonta area organized the Field Day in hard-to-reach state forests.
"We had about 25 to 30 people last year and we were hoping to have more this year because (the site) is closer and more accessible, but it's pretty much the same thing," said Mr. Milford.
The willingness of operators to participate despite the rain, said Linardi, reflects what is really the amateur radio.
"That's the point," she said. "No matter how long it does – we have to endure ourselves because there might be people in need.This is for emergency preparedness and for s & # 39; 39 ensure all our equipment is ready for use. "
She added: "We like to be able to pack our cars with batteries, radio amateurs and an antenna and, if the cell towers are down and you can not get the police, we will go to hospitals or respond to disasters. natural. "
Linardi has named hurricanes Katrina and Maria as examples of situations where amateur radio communications have proven critical. Locally, she said, operators participated in crowd control at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, the Ricky J. Parisian Pit Run and the Cooperstown Triathlon.
"We are precious," Linardi said, "because Otsego County does not have a lot of hams – we can install anywhere, anytime." has about 200 operators authorized by the Federal Communications Commission in Otsego County.
For 37-year-old Oneonta's operator, Luigi Fosco, Field Day meant a chance to share amateur radio with a younger generation.
"I just wanted to show him what I was doing," said Fosco, pointing to his 5-year-old daughter, Maddie. "At home, I have a radio that I've built and she's going to ask questions or want to decorate her, so I thought it was a good place to show her and this way, it's not a mystery. "
Linardi said that young people's exposure to amateur radio is an essential part of hobby preservation.
"We have made an effort to recruit people because we do not want them to die," Linardi said. "We are geeks in a very technical hobby on which we counted a lot and nobody wants to give it up."
"For a long time, most radio amateurs (users) were about 80," added Linardi, "but now there is a push with the digital (radio options) and there are many more young people." The Catskill Transmitters Radio Club, recently reincorporated after taking a break for several years.
Levi Anderson, 24, College Camp goalkeeper, said Day Field had piqued his interest in ham radio.
"I think I would like to involve myself," he said. "I'm a bit of a preparer and I'm interested in things like that and I love the technology."
For more information, find "Oneonta Amateur Radio Club" or "Catskill Transmitters Radio Club" on Facebook. The first meets at 7 pm every third Monday at SUNY Oneonta; the latter meets quarterly, with dates announced on social media.
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