You may listen to us on the radio, but beneath our radio signal at 89.7 there’s an entire ecosystem of other radio waves. These waves are where people can connect with other radio enthusiasts, or "hams."
Every year, the National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL) holds a field day for these radio hobbyists to meet up and connect with other hams around the country — and the world.
This year, Lake Effect’s Joy Powers was invited to check out the field day at Ottawa Lake in Kettle Moraine State Forest. When she arrived, local hams had already fired up their radios, including Dick Strassburger, president of the Milwaukee Radio Amateurs Club.
"I operate on my radio at home with five watts — the same amount of power you have in a nightlight in the bathroom," he says. "And I can talk to people over in St. Petersburg, Russia, with that five watts."
Although amateur radio is just a hobby, Strassburger says it can also serve as a backup if communication infrastructure fails — as it did during 2024's Hurricane Helene, where ham radio came to the rescue.
"When all else fails, amateur radio is there," Strassburger says. "And that's what where showing today."
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