CNSTC: June 21, 2017

Page 1

June 21, 2017

Tuning in the world

Around Town Operation Food Search receives grant for summer program. P.3 DAR cleans local cemetary to honor veterans P.5

Golden Years

Maximizing your assets in retirement. P.4

School

Francis Howell student has perfect attendance for 13 years. P.8

Business Members of the St. Louis QRP Society participated in Field Day at O’Connor Park in Bridgeton in 2016. They will be at the same location this year.

Submitted photo

Area ham radio operators share their love of the airways on Amateur Radio Field Day By Brett Auten This weekend radio waves will be buzzing with activity. In locations around the area (and across the planet for that matter) somewhere in the neighborhood of 40,000 radio amateurs will gather with their clubs as part of Amateur Radio Field Day. The American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio, sponsors this event that occurs on the fourth weekend of June. Since 1933, ham radio operators across North America have established temporary radio stations in public locations during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of amateur radio. Field Day is an event designed to simulate an emergency or disaster situation where amateur radio operators, commonly known as “hams,” set up radio equipment to demonstrate the ability to work reliably under any conditions, from almost any location, and create an independent communications network.

For ham radio users, the motivation and challenge are simple. It’s easy for anyone to connect to the Internet and communicate, with no knowledge of how the devices function or how the connection even takes place. Ham radio functions completely independent of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes, and therein lies the beauty of amateur radio during a communications outage. Hams can throw a wire in a tree for an antenna, connect it to a battery-powered transmitter and communicate halfway around the world. Radio operators will attempt to make contact with other stations across the country and around the world; testing the readiness of Amateur Radio Emergency Communications. Field Day 2017 runs from 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 to 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 25. This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. Amateur radio has been described as a “hobby of hobbies,”

as there are many different special interest areas to explore. Some hams bounce their signals off the moon; others communicate via satellites orbiting the Earth. On Field Day, many hams strive to make contact with hams in all fifty states, or in each country around the world. Experienced amateur radio operators will be on hand at all locations to answer your questions. Both clubs will have a “Get On The Air” (GOTA) Station where unlicensed individuals can try out a radio under the supervision of a licensed operator. All ages are welcome. The St. Charles Amateur Radio Club will have their equipment set up and operating at the Menards home improvement store at 151 Spencer Road in St. Peters (just north of Mexico Road), on the grassy area between Menards and McDonald’s. Ken Humbertson is a member of the St. Charles group and has been interested in electronics since he was a youngster. “I have more electronic gadgets than See RADIO page 2

Serving St. Louis, St. Charles, and Lincoln Counties | FREE Online at mycnews.com | Vol. 19 No. 25 | 636-379-1775

Battlegrounds raises money for Operation Food Search. P.9

Movie

Does Steven Spielberg favor films with male leads? P.16

Weather FRIDAY Chance of Storms 94/72 SATURDAY Sunny 91/70 SUNDAY Sunny 91/71 FirstWarn Weather

prepared by meteorologist Nick Palisch. For the latest updates visit www.facebook.com/nickswx.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
CNSTC: June 21, 2017 by Community News - Issuu