Amateur Radio Demonstrations, Lighthouse Tours Offered Saturday, August 5, in Trinidad
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TRINIDAD, Calif. – In cooperation with the Humboldt Amateur Radio Club (HARC), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arcata Field Office will host a free open house and ham radio demonstration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, August 5, at the Trinidad Head Lighthouse on Trinidad Head. Lighthouse tours will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon.
The event observes National Lighthouse Day (August 7), which recognizes efforts to preserve lighthouses as important historic symbols in America.
“We are proud to have this partnership with the amateur radio club, highlighting their public safety services,” said Molly Brown, manager of the Arcata Field Office.
HARC members will set up portable ham radio stations for public demonstrations. They will attempt contacting amateur radio sites at lighthouses around the world using shortwave, digital and satellite signals. At noon, local amateur radio operator Anthony Wiese will give a short talk about the capability of ham radio and its importance in providing communities with special event and emergency communications and listening classes.
Participants should park at Trinidad State Beach and hike the half-mile paved trail to the lighthouse. There will be no vehicle access. The Trinidad Head Lighthouse viewing area is open the first Saturday of every month from sunrise to sunset. Volunteers from the Trinidad Museum will offer tours inside the lighthouse. Museum docents will also share historic photos of the lighthouse that was built in 1871.
The 146-year-old lighthouse was transferred from the U. S. Coast Guard into public ownership and BLM management in 2014. The BLM manages the facility in coordination with the Trinidad Museum Society, City of Trinidad, Trinidad Rancheria and the Yurok Tribe. It continues to operate as a navigational beacon.
More information about the open house is available by telephoning Leisyka Parrott, BLM, at (707) 825-2313; or by reaching Anthony Wiese, Humboldt Amateur Radio Club, at (951) 623-3400.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.