Contact:
Tom Northfell - Bella Vista Area Radio Club 2024 Field Day Coordinator
w5xna@arrl.net]
479-530-0967

MEDIA ADVISORY

2024 American Radio Relay League Annual Field Day — June 22 – 23
Ham Radio Operators On the Air for Nationwide Event June 22 – 23

Ham radio operators from the Bella Vista Area Radio Club in NW Arkansas and the Tri-State Region will be participating in a national amateur radio exercise from 1 pm on Saturday until 11:59 am on Sunday, June 24 – 25 at Metfied Skills Park in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Members of the public are cordially invited and encouraged to attend. The event is ARRL Field Day (www.arrl.org/FieldDay), an annual amateur radio activity organized since 1933 by ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio in the United States.

Hams from across North America ordinarily participate in Field Day by establishing temporary ham radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their skill and service. Their use of radio signals, which reach beyond borders, bring 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.

Some hams from the ARRL Arkansas Section will also use the radio stations set up in their homes or taken to their backyards and other locations to operate individually or with their families. Many hams have portable radio communication capability that includes alternative energy sources such as generators, solar panels, and batteries to power their equipment.
This year's event is also noteworthy given the extreme storms this season in NWA. “Hams have a
long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers,” said Tom Northfell W5XNA - Bella Vista Area Radio Club Field Day Coordinator. “Ham radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems and a station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others,” Northfell added.
During Field Day 2023, more than 35,000 hams participated from thousands of locations across
North America. According to ARRL, there are more than 750,000 amateur radio licensees in the US, and an estimated 3 million worldwide.

The Bella Vista Radio Club is the largest amateur radio club in Arkansas with 256 current members. Bella Vista Mayor, John Flynn will be present at 12:30 pm to proclaim the week of June 16-22 as Amateur Radio Week in Bella Vista.