Amateur radio event held in Pahrump

An amateur radio event was held at the “Calvada Eye” in Pahrump at 10 a.m. on Saturday—where organizers of the event welcomed the public to attend and learn more about what amateur radio is and what it entails.

Amateur radio operators, or “hams,” furnish backup communications for anything that is not covered right away. They provide information from a wide variety of sources, including from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to the International Space Station, according to a release from the Pahrump Amateur Radio Repeater Association.

The Pahrump Amateur Radio Repeater Association, Inc. Or known as “Pahrump Amateur Radio Club,” participated in the two-day event at the end of June.

The group was formed in 1978, and they have about 523 licensed Hams Radio in the area, which is based on the current 10-year valid license listing with the 4 zip code mailing area. About 38 visitors signed into the logbook during the event.

This event was to demonstrate to the area residents what hams do to inform. The “hams” joined thousands of other amateur radio operators across the U.S. in what’s known as “Field Day.” This annual event is the climax of Amateur Radio Week, which began on Monday, June 22.

152 “ham” contacts were confirmed to have attended in Pahrump, including a few international attendees. According to PARRA spokesman Gary Bechtolf, “ One Female teenager drove over from Las Vegas to make her very first Field Day contact because Las Vegas elected to not have group gathering field day because of the virus. She just recently had gotten her General License.”

About 38 visitors signed into the logbook during the event.

According to Bechtolf, “We have a complete amateur radio station set up in the Nye County Museum here in Pahrump on Basin Street. This allows any licensed radio amateur that comes through Pahrump and visits the museum to get on the radio and make some world contacts. People always ask is this the kind of radio that Art Bell used in his many radio interests, and the answer is yes.”

According to PARRA’s release, more than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s Field Day event. The “Hams” report information “from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan to tornadoes in Missouri.” They are here to inform the people before the news can to ensure safety and knowledge.

The public was invited to come and see ham radio’s new capabilities on the June 27-28 Pahrump event and learn how to get an FCC radio license. As the world grows, so does the amateur radio, with over 700,000 licensees across the U.S. as well as 2.5 million across the globe.

To become one of these “hams,” these steps could help the process. According to Bechtolf, “First people can talk to other local hams, visit a local “Ham Field Day” event, or even monitor some ham blogs or radio frequencies and confirm this is something they want to do. It takes a bit of commitment to study and pass the exam, so they need to understand their motivation to succeed.”

“Some hams have specific objectives related to emergency teams, search and rescue, Skywarn weather spotting, perhaps animal telemetry systems, or a general interest in radios and meeting new people with similar interests. Some hams obtain the license as necessary for other activities, such as operating a police scanner in U.S. states that restrict the possession or use.”

No prior experience with radios, electronics, math, science, or FCC regulations is required, but you will need to learn (or memorize) at least some of the basics to pass the exam.

For additional information PARRA, you can contact Gary Bechtolf at KI4VLH@gmail.com. To learn more about amateur radio, go to