Radio Club of Redmond amateur operators will be participating in a national event sponsored by the American Radio Relay League that will test emergency communications.

The event will test both the emergency capabilities as well as the skills of the operators. The exercise is conducted for a 24-hour period from 11 a.m. June 25 through 11 a.m. June 26. The members Radio Club of Redmond have participated in this event for the past several years. Interested Redmond public officials and residents are invited to stop by and view the club’s operations during this event at 8730 250th Ave. N.E. in Redmond.

During the event local “ham” radio operators will be contacting as many stations as possible across the U.S. and Canada that are also participating in the event. The local club will be operating “in the field” utilizing emergency power sources, antennas and equipment set up to simulate communication operations that might need to be implemented to support public safety, local governments and the community during an emergency or disaster situation.

The national field day event is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). Founded in 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim, ARRL is the national association for amateur radio in the U.S. Today, with more than 161,000 members, ARRL is the largest organization of radio amateurs in the world. ARRL’s mission is based on five pillars: public service, advocacy, education, technology and membership.