Radio days: Wood County Museum hosts amateur radio operators

Ham radio operators are the unsung heroes of communication.

If the grid goes down and telephones and internet no longer work, there’s always ham radio.

That’s the philosophy behind Field Days, an international ham radio exercise sponsored by the American Radio Relay League to raise awareness about emergency communication procedures using temporary antennas and emergency power. Last week, several members of the Wood County Amateur Radio Club participated in the local version of Field Days at Wood County Museum.

Bob Willman has been a ham radio enthusiast and member of the Wood County Amateur Radio Club since 1971.

“When I was in electronics school in the late ’50s and early ’60s, my lab partner was a ham radio operator and he got me interested in them. It just took 10 years for that interest to mature,” said Willman. “(Ham radio) is a unique mode of communication. Its not involved in any commercial communication services and its possible to talk to anyone in the world depending on atmospheric conditions. You never know who you’re gonna meet.”

Willman said the farthest he’s spoken to people via ham radio is South Africa. He emphasized that Field Days is a way to draw attention to the importance of amateur radio.

“If we had a major national disaster — flood, hurricane, whatever — and the commercial communication failed, then we could set up, put up an antenna, and provide communications with amateur radios,” said Willman.

Marissa Muniz Kolhoff, marketing and events coordinator for Wood County Museum said Field Days is a always a big deal for ham radio operators everywhere.

“They hold a 24-hour Field Day event that is going on all over the world,” said Muniz Kolhoff. “They set up their ham radios and they just see who they can pick up all over the world.”

Kolhoff said that even just witnessing the event is a joy.

“I remember one time they connected with someone in Hawaii, they connected with someone in Australia. It’s just really cool to see how they are able to connect with people all over the world right here in Wood County.”

For more information on Wood County Amateur Radio Club, which regularly holds events and meetings throughout the year, visit wcarc.bgsu.edu/ .