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Members of Jim Bell Wireless Association will be practicing “communications resiliency” by participating in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise slated for this Saturday and Sunday, June 22–23, at 285 Greystone Ct. in Greenville.

Since 1933, amateur or “ham” radio operators across North America have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of amateur radio.

This event is scheduled from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Sunday. It is open to the public.

Field Day is a showcase for how amateur radio works reliably under any conditions from almost any location to create an independent communications network. “Ham” radio functions completely independent of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure, can interface with tablets or smartphones and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes.

“That’s the beauty of amateur radio during a communications outage,” David Isgur, communications manager for the ARRL, the national association for amateur radio, which represents members across the country, said. “In today’s electronic do-it-yourself (DIY) environment, ham radio remains one of the best ways for people to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology, and many other scientific disciplines. It’s a huge asset to any community during disasters or emergencies when the standard communication infrastructure goes down.”

Anyone may become a licensed amateur radio operator. There are more than 725,000 licensed hams in the United States, as young as nine and as old as 100. It’s easy to get involved.

For more information about Field Day or amateur radio, visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio