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The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) holds its annual Amateur Radio Field Day the fourth full weekend in June. That would be on June 22-23 this year. From a story on hackaday:
Hams across North America reserve the fourth full weekend of each June to tear themselves out of their shacks and get into the world to set up operations in some kind of public venue, generally a park or other green space. Part cookout, part community outreach, and part slumber party – it lasts all weekend and goes around the clock – hams use field day as a chance to show the general public where amateur radio really shines: real-time worldwide communications under austere conditions.
It's also a chance to get folks excited about getting their license, with many Field Day locations hosting "Get on the Air" stations so that unlicensed folks can try making a contact under the supervision of a licensed operator. Licensed but underequipped hams also get the chance to spin the knobs on someone else's gear, and maybe line up that first rig purchase. And there are plenty of opportunities to learn about new modes as well, such as FT8 and WSPR. As an example your scribe is looking for some guidance on getting started with APRS, the automated packet reporting system that's used for things like high-altitude balloon tracking.
Take a look at this map to find one of the 1500 locations with 40,000 hams in attendance. Join the fun!
How many hams do we have among us? Are you planning to participate in this year's field day?
[Ed note - this event is North America specific. If you're outside of that area and are interested, check around for local Amateur Radio clubs who may have information on similar events. - Fnord666]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 20 2019, @02:35PM
Yes, I'm a ham and I have been licensed for over 25 years. I was active on and off, quite a bit before the Internet and even about ten years ago I was active. I maintain my license primarily because it is little effort to do so. I have a 2m radio in my car that I hear a transmission on maybe once a week outside of net times, and an HF rig/autotuner/portable antenna in storage. I haven't operated in some years and I let my local radio club and ARRL memberships lapse. I don't reject the idea that I might get interested again someday, and I'm keeping my gear because I have the space and the knowledge to use it. But one can only make so many contacts before it all becomes just repetition. The last things I was interested in were JT65 and other high S/N operating modes.
"When all else fails" is good, but the vast majority of reality today is that one is personally better off with a cell phone that can send texts, and a car that can maneuver to where a working tower is. Most served agencies already have backup communications plans which do not require volunteers present just to communicate (or any such volunteer is going to be tasked with other duties in the support section of the Incident Command System). In the United States any agency that does not have such a plan which makes the communicator unnecessary is behind the times. But... I still have my gear because I know when all else fails I can make it work.
As to nonemergency operations, today the cutting edges of radio operation involve things like EchoLink (which is now old) and D-STAR, both of which require a node to have Internet connectivity so what's the point - why not just use the Internet to communicate? I have previously participated in field days, but mostly it was an exercise in the old-timers controlling everything that went on including who was allowed to operate during the prime slots. I was better off operating solo, and that gets boring also. I don't want to diss my brothers and sisters who still find it interesting or are in regions where ARES/RACES still contributes meaningfully, but mostly I feel that I have better things to do in my life today.