CANTON — Members of the North Country Amateur Radio Club (NCARC), in collaboration with the SUNY Canton EMS Team, will participate in the 2026 ARRL Field Day, a national amateur radio exercise, from 2 p.m. Saturday, June 27, through 2 p.m. Sunday, June 28.

This year’s event will be held in Parking Lot No. 7 on the SUNY Canton campus.

Among the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service are developing and practicing skills in radio technology and communications while fostering international goodwill. Amateur radio operators, commonly known as hams, range in age from as young as 9 to more than 100 years old.

Field Day is an annual amateur radio event organized since 1933 by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national association for amateur radio in the United States. Operators across North America participate by establishing temporary radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their skills and public service capabilities.

The event highlights amateur radio’s ability to provide reliable communications under a wide range of conditions and from nearly any location. In addition to the Canton site, some operators across the North Country will participate from their homes, backyards and other locations, either individually or with family members.

Many amateur radio operators maintain portable communications capabilities powered by generators, solar panels and batteries. This year’s event is particularly timely as forecasters predict an active hurricane season.

“Amateur radio operators have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communications infrastructure, including cell towers,” said Bob Farrington, KD2QLH, St. Lawrence County RACES radio officer.

“Amateur radio functions independently of the internet and telephone systems, and a station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes,” Farrington said. “Operators can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.”