(Photo courtesy of HIDARG)
The High Desert Amateur Radio Group (HIDARG) invites the public to visit tis booth at the Deschutes County Fair August 3-7. Central Oregon ham radio operators have frequently been in the news over the past several months. They recently completed a series of emergency training exercises related to the Cascadia Subduction.
In July, HIDARG conducted Ham Radio Field Day that is an emergency drill where hams set up a complete radio station in a remote location where no power or existing equipment exists. They operate the station for twenty-four hours making contacts with other stations across the United States and Canada.
In late July, hams provided communication services for the High Cascades 100 mountain bike race. Race organizers use ham radio for this event because there is no other service available that can cover the entire course.
HIDARG’s booth at the fair gives the public a chance to meet some of the hams that provide these critical services to public safety agencies and to the public. The hams will be on-the-air demonstrating how their various
systems work.
The hams will be able to talk to you about disaster preparedness and provide handouts that describe how you can obtain a ham radio license.
The HIDARG booth is directly across from the sheep barn and near the Bank of The Cascades Center.
Donald Shurtleff
Public Information Officer
High Desert Amateur Radio Group
Deschutes County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
donshurtleff@earthlink.net
www.hidarg.org
