The South Orange County Radio Association will host a communication exercise Saturday and Sunday that is meant to sharpen emergency skills and introduce the public to emergency portable operations.
The local 24-hour exercise starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday and runs through 11 a.m. Sunday at Gilleran Park, 24960 Felipe Road.
Amateur radio operators (hams) in Mission Viejo and throughout the nation will set up annual field day operations under simulated emergency conditions to demonstrate the benefits of amateur radio in the event of earthquakes, wildfires and storms and when electricity is out and cell phones are down. The event will feature demonstration activities to show visitors the wide range of modes and activities including TV, satellite and digital communications that are part of amateur radio.
Visitors to the weekend event will have the opportunity to visit the “GOTA” station, which stands for Get On The Air, and make contact with another station from a neighboring county or halfway around the globe.
Families, friends and individuals are encouraged to stop by and enjoy the activities.
