Jay Ham is a ham radio operator in Anacortes  with the Skagit Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Club.

Dean Becker of Anacortes, president of the Skagit Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Club, takes questions from guests to Field Day, an event involving ham radio operators all over the world. The event in Anacortes was held at Seafarers’ Memorial Park.

Local club shows off the power of radio

ANACORTES, Wash. — On a sunny July day, a dozen or so gentlemen gathered near the shore of Fidalgo Bay in northern Washington state to take part in a friendly worldwide contest. Field Day, as it is known, is a ham radio event that takes communication old-school. It’s a hobby for some, but it’s also much more than that. In a serious disaster — the kind that takes out power, internet or cell phones — ham radio operators could be the primary way for Fidalgo Islanders to make contact with the outside world. .

CLICK HERE to read about a Field Day with the Skagit Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Club.