Every June the Half Moon Bay Amateur Radio Club (HMBARC) sets up an off-the-grid emergency radio station and participates in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day.  Field Day is a two-day national event during which we contact stations all over the United States and Canada and demonstrate our ability to operate radio gear in abnormal situations and less than optimal conditions.

This year we had four antennas and three stations set up and operating. One station was used primarily for voice communications over high-frequency bands, the second station was used primarily for morse code (CW) and digital mode communications over high frequency bands, and the third station was a demonstration/training station. The demonstration/training station enabled us to:

1. Show new Technicians and prospective amateur radio operators the components of an entry-level very high frequency/ultra high frequency base station (i.e., the next step in equipment after a handi-talkie).

2. Introduce basic concepts related to radio waves, frequency, wavelength, and bands.

3. Discuss repeater system basics.

4. Provide an overview of on-air protocol.

5. Give new or inexperienced amateur radio operators and prospective amateur radio operators an overview of high-frequency (HF) operations and the opportunity to operate HF equipment.

6. Download the current Coastside band plan to handi-talkies with outdated programming.