Lake Charles Hosts Southwest Louisiana HAM Radio Field Day June 2

KNGT | Lake Charles, LA — A lot of people know me as the guy on Gator 99.5 that wakes y'all up every morning. Some know me from community events, fundraisers, Mardi Gras, or maybe from running around Southwest Louisiana with a microphone in my hand. What many folks don't know is that I'm also a licensed HAM Radio operator. My call sign is WW5CAT, and I'm a proud member of the Southwest Louisiana Amateur Repeater Club right here in Lake Charles.

This weekend is one of the biggest weekends of the year in the HAM Radio world. It's called Field Day, and honestly, it's one of the coolest things you'll probably never hear about unless you know somebody involved in amateur radio.

What is HAM Radio Field Day?

Field Day is amateur radio's largest annual emergency preparedness exercise and open house. The fourth weekend in June, thousands of HAM Radio Operators get together to show off equipment and test their equipment. They do this as much "Off Grid" as they can to test incase of an emergency situation.

During Field Day, operators practice setting up stations that run off generators, batteries, and even solar power. For 24 hours HAM Radio Operators see how many contacts they can make. Its a big Contest and alot of fun. It's part competition, part training exercise, and part community event. And the best part? You don't have to be a HAM Radio operator to come check it out.

The Southwest Louisiana Amateur Repeater Club will be hosting Field Day at the Region STEM Center, located at 1509 Enterprise Boulevard in Lake Charles. The event takes place Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, beginning at 9:00 AM. If you've ever been curious about HAM Radio, this is your chance. You'll see antennas, radios, emergency communication equipment, and operators making live contacts all over the place.

There will also be a Get On The Air (GOTA) station. That's where someone who isn't licensed can sit down, grab a microphone, and make a real radio contact under the guidance of a licensed operator.

And if you come by, make sure you say hello. 73, y'all. That's HAM Radio talk for "best regards." Around here, it's just another way of saying, "See ya soon."