Well folks once again it’s time for Field Day. We all know Field Day. It is when Members of the DuPage Amateur Radio Club (DARC) put their emergency communication skills to the test when they participated in Field Day on Saturday June 23 and June Sunday 24 2007 at The Woodridge Park District’s Hawthorn Hills Woods and Home in Woodridge, Illinois . The annual preparedness exercise brings together Amateur Radio operators from throughout North and South America who are committed to assisting their communities in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. Field Day is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national association for Amateur Radio.

Field Day is designed to test operators' abilities to set up and operate stations in the field under emergency conditions, such as the loss of commercial electricity. During the weekend, radio operators try to contact as many other Field Day stations as possible, simulating the fast on-air skills needed to assist local officials and served agencies during an emergency.

The DuPage Amateur Radio Club is group of individuals in The Chicagoland Area who celebrate the art of Ham Radio. Ham Radio or Amateur Radio can be a fun hobby as well as vital resource during emergency situations, especially when the power goes out. The DuPage Amateur Radio Club is made of all different members of the Community and they all come together because of their love for Ham Radio. DARC has monthly meetings and provides help to those individual wishing to get Ham Radio FCC Certified.

Ham radio is the premier high-tech hobby. It's enjoyed by people from all walks of life from around the world. The rules for becoming an amateur (ham) radio operator vary from country to country around the world.

On this page we're going to tell you a little about the hobby and how you can obtain the necessary license to operate in the United States.

Using even the simplest of radio setups and antennas, amateurs communicate with each other for fun, during emergencies, and even in contests. They handle messages for police and other public service organizations during all kinds of emergencies including:

Hurricanes

Earthquakes

Tornadoes and floods

Motorist accidents

Fires and chemical spills

Search and rescues