ST. GEORGE — Southern Utahns curious about amateur radio will get a chance to send their voices over the airwaves during this year’s amateur radio open house, known as Field Day.
The open house will be held at the Dixie Applied Technology College’s Emergency Operations Training Center, beginning at noon on Saturday, June 25 and concluding at noon Sunday.
The goal of the Field Day contest is to contact as many other groups as possible within a 24-hour window, said Dixie Amateur Radio Club President Don Leonard, adding that clubs earn points by doing so.
“They don’t win anything but the points count toward chest-pounding and name-in-lights-type stuff,” he said.
Additionally, a traditional Field Day dinner will be served on Saturday evening, states the Facebook post, adding that attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy club treasurer Colby Seegmiller’s “river spaghetti,” complete with trimmings. RSVP for the dinner is required, see below for RSVP information. Donations to help with the cost of the dinner will be accepted and appreciated.
Colby Seegmiller said that club members will be manning several stations and the conversations they’ll have will be short to allow for as many individual contacts as possible.
Field Day boasts over 40,000 participants throughout North America, each June. The event began in 1933 and is amateur radio’s most popular event, according to the ARRL’s website.
“It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event,” the site states.
Everybody is welcome to participate in the event, said Leonard, adding that information will be available for those interested in obtaining their amateur license. This would enable participation in this hobby and help with communications in emergency situations.
The club welcomes newcomers and invites them to talk with enthusiasts from around the globe on the provided radio equipment, said the club’s vice president Ryan Seegmiller, adding that Field Day is a family-friendly event. The 15-year-old Ryan is Colby Seegmiller’s son.
“It’s for anyone,” he said. “Doesn’t matter how young or old you are. Just come and check it out. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
Club members set up equipment and antennas prior to the event, developing an essential skill set in case of emergencies, said Colby Seegmiller, adding that the event also instills a sense of camaraderie among operators.
The club will use a variety of radio types during the event including a digital radio which allows users to transmit text over airwaves, and Morse code, which Leonard said will earn additional points for the group.
Last year, the club earned 2,146 points while running three stations for the contest, former club president and Field Day Chairman Ric Wayman told St. George News at the time. Club members contacted 49 states, eight Canadian provinces, Australia and New Zealand. The only state they failed to contact was Louisiana.
More than a hobby
Many who obtain their amateur radio license do so in case of emergencies where other forms of communication can break down, said Leonard, adding that while cellphones are nice, service can be unreliable. For instance, during the bombings at the Boston Marathon in 2013, cellphone service was lost, and many could not learn their loved one’s conditions. Leonard said an amateur radio operator would be able to relay that information.
Wayman said the club has previously provided primary communication for the St. George Marathon and the Ironman World Championship. Radios are not dependent on cell towers or the internet, making them ideal for events in areas with inconsistent service. There are three repeaters, devices that receive signals and retransmit them from mountaintops in the Washington County area. This extends the reach of local users.
“With a linked repeater system such as ours, a user with a small handheld radio could talk from Cedar City to the Las Vegas Speedway,” Wayman said.
Ham radio is not just for emergency communications but is also a hobby, where individuals can experiment with different antenna systems, build their own radios and learn Morse code, if they desire to do so. Leonard said the hobby introduced him to new people and new ideas, such as novel ways to solve problems.
“And it’s like any hobby — put a lot of money into it or a little,” he said.
Colby and Ryan Seegmiller became interested in the hobby after buying a Jeep that came with a ham radio installed, said Colby Seegmiller. The seller offered to remove it, but Colby Seegmiller decided he wanted to become an amateur operator.
“When I was a young kid, I was at a scout camp up on Pine Valley Mountain and there was a gentleman that was one of the leaders there that had a radio that he could use as a telephone down to town when kids had an issue or were sick,” he said. “And I’m watching him use this radio and I felt that is the coolest thing in the world.”
The father and son duo have enjoyed spending time learning the hobby together and supporting the club by putting up antennas and maintaining the repeaters.
Anytime Leonard goes on the air, he doesn’t know who will answer back, which he said is “pretty exciting.”
“There’s a satisfaction that, ‘Hey, I was able to actually talk to somebody through the air with no wires connecting us,'” he said. “And I know in the cellphone times that we have now that’s probably not too exciting, but for me it was.”
Radio enthusiasts in St. George are mostly retired individuals but, some younger people have been joining the club and becoming licensed operators. Previously, individuals seeking a license were required to learn Morse code but that is no longer the case, said Leonard.
Promoting the hobby and getting new individuals involved is essential, said Leonard, noting that as older members die, their knowledge and experience are lost.
“It’s just like family history,” he said. “You want to find out about your family history before they’re gone.”
Leonard is knowledgeable about older electronics and can take a radio apart and put it back together, said Colby Seegmiller, adding that in a plug-and-play society, many young people haven’t learned those skills. On the other hand, new members are more likely to be versed in newer technologies, he added.
“The old guys and the new guys are teaching each other the old and new tricks,” he said.
Club members and other radio enthusiasts are happy to answer questions, said Ryan Seegmiller.
“Everybody’s … always willing to help,” he said.
Those interested can attend a monthly club meeting, scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the St. George Community Building, 245 North 200 West, Leonard said. Potential members can also visit the club’s website for more information.
To learn more visit the ARRL’s website, or follow the Dixie Amateur Radio Club on Facebook. Those interested in participating outside St. George can also use the Field Day Locator to search for other clubs hosting field day events.
Editor note: Ric Wayman is also the weekend editor for St. George News.
ARRL Field Day with the Dixie Amateur Radio Club event details
- What: A contest to see which group can make the most contacts utilizing radio only across North America over a 24-hour period.
- When: Saturday, June 25 at noon to Sunday, June 26 at noon.
- Where: DXATC’s Emergency Operations Training Center, 620 South Tech Ridge Drive, St George.
- Who: Individuals of all ages interested in amateur radio.
- Admission: free.
- Dinner RSVP: send your name and the number attending to this email.
Photo Gallery
Antennas being erected at the Dixie Amateur Radio Club Field Day, June 2021 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News Amateur Radio in operation, June 2019 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News Nighttime operations at the Dixie Amateur Radio Club Field Day, June 2019 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News At the 2021 amateur radio Field Day competition with members of the Dixie Amateur Radio Club, St. George, Utah, June 26, 2021 | Photo still from video by Mori Kessler. St. George News Field Day with members of the Dixie Amateur Radio Club, St. George, Utah, June 26, 2021 | Photo by Mori Kessler. St. George News Amateur Radio in operation, date and location not specified | Photo still from video courtesy of Colby and Ryan Seegmiller, St. George News Amateur Radio being operated by Colby Seegmiller, date and location not specified | Photo still from video courtesy of Colby and Ryan Seegmiller, St. George News
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