Independence first-time host to Radio Field Day

by Charles Cassady

A leading technology brand came to Independence in June. But it was not a giant corporate headquarters or digital hub. Rather, the Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society, for the first time, utilized Elmwood Park for a 24-hour period as its base station for “Field Day” 2024.

“It used to be in Seven Hills,” said CARS representative Andy Evridge, of Parma. “We were in there for about ten years in Calvin Park.” But, he said, renovations to the park made setting up the “ham” radio arrays untenable.

Thus CARS relocated to Indy. From Saturday, June 22, to Sunday, June 23, several tents sprang up in Elmwood Park, along with gas generators and antenna arrays, to compete in the annual Amateur Radio Relay League.

Long before internet – even before television – amateur radio was the electronic wizardry that bridged vast distances between individuals around the planet. Radio-wave communication had only been around for a few decades when the ARRL began in 1914.

Long-headquartered in Dayton, Ohio (only recently vacating the aging facility for Xenia, Ohio), the ARRL is the governing body that licenses private operators, each with an individual call sign.

“Hams” communicate on designated non-commercial frequencies, participate in events, educate others in radio techniques and provide communications infrastructure and setups in emergencies. Ham operators have also helped coordinate major outdoor events such as the Cleveland Marathon and the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure.

Current membership in the ARRL is estimated at 150,000. High-profile hams include country-music star Patty Loveless, inventor/Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and actor-comedian Tim Allen.

Part of the mystique of amateur radio is collecting contacts – usually in the form of mailed postcards or “QSL cards” – from faraway enthusiasts. There is even an amateur-radio sub-group who specialize in contacting satellites and the International Space Station.

Field Day, typically at the summer solstice, is a competition between ARRL-affiliate clubs to make as many contacts as possible within a 24-hour marathon of radio transmitting/receiving, sending signals further around the world as the Earth rotates. Extra points are awarded for innovative setups and practices, such as solar power.

Some 40,000 hams across North America participate. Instead of counting received QSL cards, contacts are now tallied via computer. Even so, said Evridge, it will take months for the winning amateur radio club and its statistics to be announced in December’s ARRL magazine.

Saturday afternoon found Elmwood Park hams logging contacts as far away as Puerto Rico. Stations communicated by both voice and Morse code, or using special digitized signals that cut more cleanly through atmospheric interference. Interested bystanders and fellow hobbyists were allowed to drop by and learn more about amateur radio.

John Brunovsky, of Independence, in local Boy Scout Troop 811, brought his sons and Scouts Nate and Alex to work towards a Merit badge in amateur radio. Ham radio and Scouting go so much together that some Scout Jamborees have taken place completely over the airwaves.

“They just got started last week,” Brunovsky said. “It’s one of the things we’re doing this summer.”

At the continuous-wave tent, Simpson Huston, of Parma, a part-time Seven Hills police officer, participated in his first Field Day, making Morse-code contacts alongside Ed Baznik, an electrical engineer from Independence.

“I’m retired from three jobs,” said Huston. “And now I have time to do radio. It was on my bucket list.”

The team enjoyed clear skies during a summer heat wave up until the Sunday-afternoon conclusion. “Thankfully, all antennas and radio gear were down and stowed safely before the storm hit,” said Evridge.

While the official ARRL verdict is still awaited, preliminary statistics are that CARS made 2,021 contacts this summer, compared with 2,037 in 2023.

“Given that it was our first year at a new site, one of our stations did not work properly because of an unexpected technical problem. And band conditions were a bit more challenging,” said Evridge. “We’re happy with results – plus we have already met to recap what we can do better next year.”

Said Evridge, whether this will mean a 2025 return to Independence or seeking out a replacement community is still … up in the air. “I think the club is still happy with the overall performance in the face of grueling conditions,” he said. “Besides, that’s what Field Day is all about, operating ‘in the field’ despite prevailing conditions.” 

The next big event is the Cleveland region’s milestone 50th-annual “Hamfest” at the Berea Fairgrounds on Sept. 22. There will be ARRL licensing exams, classes, Morse code tutorials, used and new electronics for sale and lots of good radio-shack stories. Information is at hac.org. ∞

Andy Evridge (r) describes amateur radio
operations to Scouts Nate and Alex
Brunovsky, of Troop 811. Photo by Charles
Cassady.

On our cover (photo): Radio technology was set up in tents throughout Elmwood Park during Radio Field Day. Independence resident and electrical engineer Ed Baznik worked a classic wooden Morse-code “key” to communicate with other radios worldwide. Photos by Charles Cassady.