EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PUT TO THE TEST — FIELD DAY 2009

Local Radio Operators Test Emergency Communications During Nationwide Event

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, June 09, 2009

New Kensington, PA – MEMBERS OF THE SKYVIEW RADIO SOCIETY WILL BE PUTTING
THEIR RADIO SKILLS TO THE TEST DURING THE ANNUAL FIELD DAY EVENT, SPONSORED
BY THE AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE. THE 2009 FIELD DAY WILL SPAN 27 HOURS
STARTING SATURDAY, JUNE 27 AT 2 PM, RUNNING THROUGH 5 PM SUNDAY, JUNE 28.
FIELD DAY IS DESIGNED TO TEST AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS’ SKILLS AND
CAPABILITIES UNDER ADVERSE EMERGENCY CONDITIONS, SUCH AS THOSE EXPERIENCED
DURING HURRICANE KATRINA. FIELD DAY OPERATORS FACE THE CHALLENGE OF QUICKLY
SETTING UP AND RUNNING 2-WAY RADIO STATIONS UNDER SIMULATED EMERGENCY
CONDITIONS WHERE COMMERCIALLY GENERATED POWER IS NOT AVAILABLE. ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY SOURCES INCLUDING GASOLINE GENERATORS, BATTERY, AND SOLAR WILL BE USED
TO POWER ALL THE RADIO AND COMPUTER EQUIPMENT BEING USED IN THE EVENT.
PRESIDENT OF THE SKYVIEW RADIO SOCIETY, LARRY KELLER (AB3ER) SAYS, "ONE
OF OUR GOALS DURING THE 2008 FIELD DAY EXERCISE IS TO RAISE AWARENESS WITH
THE PUBLIC AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. IT’S IMPORTANT THAT COMMUNITIES KNOW
THAT WHEN AN EMERGENCY ARISES, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEND AND RECEIVE
CRITICAL INFORMATION, EVEN WHEN ALL OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS HAVE
FAILED."
THE SKYVIEW RADIO SOCIETY MEMBERS WILL BE OPERATING RADIOS FROM THEIR
CLUBHOUSE LOCATION NEAR NEW KENSINGTON AS WELL AS A SECOND FIELD STATION AT
TOWNSEND PARK IN MURRYSVILLE, PA. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO OBSERVE, ASK
QUESTIONS AND EVEN "GET ON THE AIR" FOR THE FIRST TIME IF THEY’D LIKE.
IN ADDITION TO EXCHANGING INFORMATION WITH OTHER RADIO OPERATORS BY VOICE,
THE SKYVIEW RADIO SOCIETY CLUB MEMBERS WILL BE USING ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS
OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS - CW - MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS MORSE CODE. THEY WILL
ALSO BE USING LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND
COMPUTER SOUNDCARD-BASED COMMUNICATIONS MODES.
"SKYVIEW RADIO SOCIETY IS A VERY PROGRESSIVE AND FRIENDLY CLUB, ESPECIALLY
WHEN IT COMES TO SHOWING PEOPLE WHO HAVE LITTLE OR NO RADIO EXPERIENCE WHAT
WE DO. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT AMATEUR RADIO TO VISIT EITHER OR BOTH OF OUR FIELD DAY SITES. VISITORS WILL BE
GREETED WITH A WARM WELCOME, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW OFF SOME OF WHAT AMATEUR RADIO IS ALL ABOUT," SAYS DAVID KLEBER
(KB3FXI), COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OF THE SKYVIEW RADIO SOCIETY.
MORE INFORMATION, SUCH AS DIRECTIONS TO THE FIELD DAY LOCATIONS, CAN BE FOUND
AT THE SKYVIEW RADIO SOCIETY WEBSITE AT WWW.SKYVIEWRADIO.NET.

Contact:
David Kleber, KB3FXI
412-720-0210
David.Kleber@verizon.net
Skyview Radio Society
2335 Turkey Ridge Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
www.skyviewradio.net

Thank you Radio Operators, Listeners and Fans!

Wow.

This year has been a whirlwind one. They say that writing the book is 1/3 of the work. The real hard work comes in promoting it. Boy, were they right!

However, hard work does pay off. Not only have I had some really fulfilling book discussions this month but I've also been featured in two national magazines. Yes, TWO national magazines.

Both were cold calls. (Entrepreneurs will find that really exciting.)

The first is the Amateur Radio Relay League's QST Magazine. They were kind enough to review WWII Radio Heroes in their April 2008 edition. Humbly, they reminded me it was a small review. I braced myself. It was a huge (okay, so it was 1/4 page- I believe that is huge)! Thank you ARRL! I'm really looking forward to going to my first radio conference- Beltsville, MD June 5-7.

The second is America in WWII magazine. WWII Radio Heroes was one of three books featured in their review section, due out in June 2008. We received nearly a whole page of review! I was beside myself. This was a real honor.

What's next? I'll tell you- The American Entrepreneur Show on AM 1360 Pittsburgh with Ron Morris! The fun never stops!

Stay tuned. :)