In a national emergency, if all regular communications failed and all normal power sources were neutralized, how would a response be coordinated? That was the challenge of "Field Day" this past weekend.
Spread out in portable shelters behind the Alexandria Fire Department Training Headquarters at the Lee Center members of the Alexandria Radio Club tested their skills and expertise in a Western Hemisphere exercise to operate emergency radio stations for 24 hours using only battery or generator power and field deployed antenna.
They were one element of a nationwide gathering of Ham radio operators that form a vital link in the country's ability to know and communicate what is going on in a disaster situation — natural or otherwise. Similar units were set up throughout North and South America using Morse code, digital communications, satellite, and voice to test their emergency preparedness.
"In a real emergency we need to know how good we would be in establishing and maintaining contact with each other and emergency responders," said Pete Laager of Alexandria. "We do everything with emergency temporary equipment," added Rick Bunn, another club member.
"All the equipment is run off batteries and some generators for the entire exercise," said Rich Adamy, coordinator for the club's Field Day whose call letters are KA4GFY. "The assumption is that in a real national emergency there would be no conventional power available."
OPERATED UNDER the aegis of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), which was founded in the 1930's, the exercise is also a contest among the various clubs, according to Ian Keith, president of the Alexandria club. Points are awarded based on the number of contacts made over the 24-hour time span.
"This club was founded in 1954 and we have been doing Field Day since then," he said. "We have a total 95 members with about 25 of those participating in this exercise."
Keith's communication method of choice he revealed is Morse code. "It takes a while to learn, but I still prefer it. It seems that the younger you are the easier it is to learn. We have kids as young as five who have gotten their license. And they have to pass an examine to qualify. It's not just a matter of walking in and giving identification," he insisted.
Living on the fifth floor of an apartment building in Alexandria, Keith explained that he can operate his equipment with a simple antenna on his balcony. "I've talked with over 125 countries over the years. Many of them I had to go to a map afterward to see just where they were," he said.
ONE OF THE MOST sophisticated setups at Lee Center was that of Jim DeYoung who is known in the local club as the resident satellite expert. His equipment included not only the normal send and receive elements but also a dish and antenna to reach satellites circling the globe.
"Amateur-launched satellites were some of the first in space," DeYoung explained. "They go back to the 60's, not long after Sputnik."
He stated that in order for the Ham operators to get their satellites into space they have to piggyback on large commercial ventures. "When it takes several hundred million to launch a vehicle I don't know of too many amateurs in that league," he said.
"We are also able to acquire satellites put up there by commercial ventures after they have outlived their usefulness. Several of these are medical relay satellites. They were donated to Ham operators once they neared the end of their planned use," DeYoung explained.
THE EXERCISE is a 24-hour operation so that all time zones are covered and time of day contacts can be checked, according to Adamy. "The night hours result in more contacts due to the atmosphere. We can talk half way around the world at night. However, there are so many participating in this exercise the airwaves are just jammed," he said.
Another group at the Alexandria site was using digital equipment. They were operating what is known as a PSK 31 which stands for Phase Shift Keying and 31 bodes.
The reason the exercise is designated as "Field Day" is that the ARRL requires the operators to set up their equipment in the open and operate off self activated power sources. "This is the true test in a emergency situation," Adamy pointed out.
Members of the Alexandria Club were involved in providing auxiliary communications on 9/11 when various regular communications were disabled and cell phone and other sources were jammed. Ham operators are routinely involved in many natural disaster situations such as forest fires, floods, and storms of all nature.
Clubs throughout the Washington region participated in Field Day. The Alexandria Club was situated at the Lee Center because, as Jane Malik, public information officer, Alexandria Fire Department, pointed out, "The Ham radio operators have long been a great asset to public safety agencies during emergency operations."