Island ham radio enthusiasts gather in Charlottetown for Field Day

Ham or amateur radio may be seen as outdated technology and merely a hobby.

But for Brent Taylor, a member of the P.E.I. Amateur Radio Group, that technology still has practical and important relevance today.

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"Our regular communications infrastructure that we've come to rely on so deeply, such as cellular phones or mobile data, that whole system could come down at any time," said Taylor.

"And, when it does, a lot of us would be disabled as far as our ability to communicate or tell people about health and safety matters or disaster issues."

"Amateur radio is designed to overcome all of those obstacles and stay on the air."

Taylor and other members of the P.E.I. Amateur Radio Group were at the Canadian Red Cross building in Charlottetown to participate in the annual Field Day event, where amateur radio operators across North America communicate with each other on the last weekend in June for a 24-hour period.

Taylor has been a licensed ham radio operator since 1984. Taylor enjoys amateur radio because it allows him to communicate with people thousands of kilometres away. But Field Day is also an opportunity to practice radio communication skills in case of an emergency or natural disaster, he said.

"We practice ourselves how to make sure we can stay on the air, even if we lose power or if we lose our regular communications," said Taylor.

Michael Morrison is also part of the group and a licensed radio operator since 1980. As someone with cerebral palsy, Morrison said an aspect of ham radio that appeals to him is its inclusiveness.

"I get to meet people from all different walks of life, from all over the world and I can meet them on equal terms," he said.

"It's a hobby you can do, even when you're not able-bodied like my age. There are lots of hams who have physical disabilities or visual disabilities, but it's a hobby that doesn't discriminate."

The annual Field Day event ends on Sunday at 3 p.m.

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