Using a lightweight handheld antenna made of small archery arrows, Bob Matreci tried to connect to a satellite hovering about 200 miles above the ground. If successful,sometimes amateur radio operators like Matreci can contact the International Space Station. On Saturday, though, Matreci wasn’t having much luck with only static coming over the channel. Matreci was one of about a dozen local amateur radio operators participating in the American Radio Relay League’s annual Field Day. The event brings together thousands of radio amateurs who set up temporary transmitting stations across the country to show off their skills and educate the public on how amateur radio, also known as ham radio, works. Across the lawn at Finley Community Park in west Santa Rosa, members of the Sonoma County Radio Amateurs set up several stations displaying different types of communications devices. They worked to contact other operators along the West Coast — in some cases as far east as Kansas — through voice, satellite, digital communication and Morse code. Operating amateur radios started off as a hobby for many of the club’s members but it has real-world practices here in the North Bay where wildfires and power outages can cut off cellphone and internet service, making it difficult to coordinate operations during emergencies, said Darryl Paule, outreach coordinator for the club. “When all else fails, there’s always ham radio,” Paule said. “Ham radio is an important fabric of the community, especially in fire season.” At a nearby tent, Howard Sidorsky listened to the tone denoting the dots and dashes coming over the signal at a Morse code station. This method is used to communicate long distances and advanced operators can send several words per minute making it possible to communicate quickly, said Sidorsky, who first received his license in 1958 but picked up the hobby again in the 1970s.

Athens State University will be partaking in the 2022 Ham Radio Field Day-by letting objects fly from an Athens park. The University said students from ASU’s American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Student Branch will be launching up to two high-altitude telemetry balloons from Swan Creek Park (98 US-31, next to Athens Middle School). The public is invited to attend the launch, tentatively planned for 10 a.m., Saturday June 25. Bill Brown, from NASA Artemis Risk Management, will supervise the launches, which may circle the Earth if they get high enough and catch the jet stream! Students on the ASU Mission Control team will track the balloons, which will report GPS coordinates, height, speed, and observations. "It’s a great opportunity to involve our STEM students, and others in a real mission. It’s also good training for our future STEM-SAT1 (Radio-Astronomy CubeSat) launch scheduled for 4th quarter 2023 on a Vaya Space Dauntless rocket." The launch has a dual educational purpose for the University – it will support the training of Aerospace Systems Management students in Mission Control and Communications, as well as serve as a planned mission simulation for a summer course the University is offering. The launch is being conducted in coordination with the local Athens Amateur Radio Club.

Fulton Amateur Radio Club (F.A.R.C.) operators, with the support of the Oswego County Emergency Communicators/R.A.C.E.S. (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) and Oswego County Emergency Management Office, will take part in the ARRL (Amateur Radio Relay League) Annual National Field Day event June 25-26, 2022 at Fort Ontario in Oswego. This Field Day event runs for 24 straight hours, F.A.R.C. and R.A.C.E.S operator's will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday June 25 and finish at 1 p.m. on June 26. Amateur Radio operators better known as “hams"， because in the early 1900's, the operators enjoy talking to others across the air waves about anything and everything. Hams from across North America ordinarily participate in Field Day by establishing temporary ham radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their emergency skills and service. Their use of radio signals, which reach beyond borders, brings people together while providing essential communication in the service of communities. Field Day highlights ham radio's ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent, wireless communications network. Many hams have portable radio communication capability that includes alternative energy sources such as generators, solar panels, and batteries to power their equipment.

The hobby of amateur radio, and portable walkie talkie operating in particular, will receive some high profile coverage this coming Sunday, 5th June, on national televsion. The long-running BBC Countryfile programme airs at 6pm on the main BBC1 channel, and will be based from Flat Holm Island in the Bristol Channel. This location can claim to be the birthplace of radio as it was the site of Marconi's first radio transmissions over sea. Presenters Ellie Harrison and Matt Baker will be with leading Summits on the Air (SOTA) operator Ben Lloyd GW4BML as he sets up a portable station on the island in order to contact SOTA activators on hill and mountain summits around the UK.

Following a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dayton Hamvention returned to celebrate 70 years of what is now considered the largest amateur radio convention in the world, according to organizers. "Amateur radio is a very interesting hobby of service that people all over the world communicate with,” said Michael Kalter, spokesperson for the Dayton Hamvention. Amateur radio, or ham radio, enthusiasts use the technology to talk to each other across town, around the world, or even into space. Ham radio operators have played a vital role during emergencies, severe weather and natural disasters, when traditional communications are not available. Today, there are more than 700,000 amateur radio licenses in the U.S. and roughly 2 million worldwide. The Dayton Hamvention attracts visitors from numerous countries who travel thousands of miles to gather with other amateur radio enthusiasts. Eric and Lourdes Lowery, of Ypsilanti, Mich., have attended the Hamvention three times together. “I started because of interest in electronics and communications. When I started, kids didn’t have handheld radio,” he said. “It’s fun to be able to talk with people around the world straight from radio to radio rather than over a phone line.”

Two young Socorroans are newly licensed ham radio operators, thanks to an afterschool program at Cottonwood Valley Charter School and their own hard work. Fifth-grader Matthew Price, 10, thought why not give becoming an operator a try since his whole family on his dad’s side are licensed. "It also, it has a lot of electrical components and stuff, so if you choose to be an electrician, you get a little background knowledge on fuse schematics, a little bit of electrical knowledge," said Price. Price and 11-year-old Abby Cadol had to learn about ham radio rules and safety -- grounds, fuse schematics, and how to avoid getting shocked. They also made their own antennas. "I always thought walkie-talkies were pretty cool, so I was a little excited to learn that this is like a long-range walkie-talkie," said Cadol. The pair practiced answering questions every Tuesday after school with ham radio enthusiast Jon Spargo to prepare for their amateur operator license test. This is the thirteenth year for the ham radio group, which is open to sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Fifth graders are welcome if they can handle some simple algebra. "It's a hobby, but unlike a lot of other hobbies, it's a hobby with community service in mind," said Spargo.

May 5th is the annual China Amateur Radio Festival. "Ham" (radio enthusiasts) in many places in Hubei carried out communication activities, and everyone had technical discussions and exchanges, and sent holiday greetings to each other. The hams in Xiangyang gathered in Yao'an Village, Xiangcheng District, to erect short-wave antennas and assemble and debug radio stations. They communicated with the Ham in the "Xiang Shi " urban agglomeration through their own short-wave radio stations to communicate with each other outdoors. The staff of Xiangyang Monitoring Station of Provincial Radio Monitoring Center gave on-site guidance, and carried out relevant regulations on amateur radio management and publicity of radio science. On the morning of the same day, more than 10 "hams" (radio amateurs) from the Jingmen Amateur Radio Association went to Aifeke Flying Town to carry out emergency communication drills. During the event, the "hams" showed their favorite radio equipment and exchanged their experience in radio communication. "Here is Jingmen, Hubei, here is Jingmen, Hubei..." The calls of various radio stations came one after another, communicating with "hams" in many parts of the country to convey holiday wishes. On the day of the event, the hams said that they would actively play a greater role in supporting emergency communications, maintaining radio safety, combating radio violations and serving economic and social development.

Many motorsport figures, teams, and associations around the world have contributed to relief efforts in Ukraine in the two months since Russia began its invasion of the country. For off-road racer David Caspino, he is delivering his support firsthand. On Wednesday, PCI Race Radios—an official partner of SCORE International—announced it will donate 100 two-way VHF (very high frequency) radios to the Ukrainian Army and Territorial Defense Forces, the latter of which includes a unit for foreign volunteers like his fellow Americans, with Caspino overseeing their delivery. In a Facebook post made last Tuesday, Caspino stressed a need for Individual First Aid Kits, while off-road racing shop SDHQ Motorsports chipped in stickers and apparel; Caspino quipped on Instagram that he believes “kids in Ukraine love stickers more than Baja kids.” “PCI is proud to help support David in his humanitarian efforts and has donated 100 VHF radios for him to take over there with him,” reads a statement from the company. “Follow his journey on Facebook and reach out to him if you would like to donate any supplies. Thank you David for your efforts, you are truly a hero, be safe over there.” “It’s very rewarding and very fulfilling, but it’s pretty crazy,” Caspino told The Willits News .

Kenichi Horie （JR3JJE）, an 83-year-old Japanese amateur radio enthusiast, set off from San Francisco, USA, on 26 March local time, crossing the Pacific Ocean alone in his Suntory Mermaid III. During the trip he used his amateur radio to communicate with other ham stations. Kenichi Horie, whose goal is to become the oldest solo sailor to cross the Pacific Ocean, passed through Hawaii on 17 April, a week ahead of schedule and clearly in good shape and spirits. On 31 March he sent the following message to his assistant using a satellite phone: "For the first time since I set out, I spotted a tanker on the sea this morning. The ship is heading east. Tomorrow, I am going to use the amateur radio". On April 1st, radio amateurs across Japan tried to communicate with Horie, some using very large antennas. But they were unable to reach him due to poor transmission conditions. The next day, some people made the call successfully.  Although Kenichi Horie carries a satellite phone, communicating with others via ham radio remains one of his favorite pastimes. From weekends (Saturdays) around late May and 10 am (JST) on holidays, at a nearby frequency of 21.320MHz±, a list QSO was conducted with the assistance of radio amateurs in Horie. Try using an antenna to transmit a radio signal to the east of Horie's voyage.

Greenwich Radios, America's leading wholesale buyer and seller of used two-way radios, declared April 22, 2022, as National Two-Way Radio Day. In coordination with Earth Week, Greenwich Radios chose a date that aligns the impact of two-way radios with protecting Mother Earth and its inhabitants. "We felt that recognizing the contribution of two-way radios on our nation's growth was overdue," explains Larry Sellers, PR spokesperson for Greenwich Radios. Despite two-way wireless technology being over 100 years old, it has not fundamentally changed in the past century. Radios have become integral to public safety, aviation, maritime, small businesses, and everyday people. They are part of the American fabric. As wireless technology continues to move towards 5G and smartphones, the simple two-way radio remains as popular as ever. Due to its simplicity and reliability, point-to-point two-way radio communication will remain the gold standard of reliable and independent communications for the next 100 years and beyond. As the world continues to focus on technology, it's more important than ever to honor and celebrate the advent of two-way radio technology and its impact on making our planet better. Greenwich Radios has petitioned the National Holiday Archives to include National Two-Way Radio Day in its catalog.