Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse Mahoning Valley Amateur Radio Association (MVARA) member John Morris, foreground, steadies an amateur radio antenna as Mark Haverstock and Carl Brandt secure the guide ropes Friday as the group was setting up for its annual Field Day exercises.

CANFIELD — On Saturday, members of the Mahoning Valley Amateur Radio Association (MVARA) began their annual 24-hour event known as Field Day, which features local amateur radio operators who are working off generators or solar power.

“We will be putting the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency’s (EMA) Mobile Command Post (MCP) on the air,” said MVARA member Frank Sole of Poland. “Operators will demonstrate some of the amateur radio communications capabilities during their Field Day exercise at the Mill Creek MetroParks Farm.”

The Mahoning County MCP will be open for tours as well as giving members of the public the opportunity to “get on the air” as MVARA operators use MCP amateur radios during their Field Day operations.

Sole said the Mahoning County MCP is a fully customized, technology-rich vehicle designed to strengthen on-scene coordination and enhance public safety operations across the county. It provides first responders with modern, reliable tools to support emergency response and incident management. The MCP was built by MBF Industries of Sanford, Florida, at a cost of $732,315.08.

Sole said the MVARA is in its 107th year after being founded in 1919. Members of the association train constantly to be the backup communications network in case of emergencies.

The event this weekend will see the MVARA spending 24 hours at the farm, communicating by voice and through Morse Code. This year, the group also will bring the digital technology that was so popular last year.

“Our digital equipment looks like a big video game,” Sole said. “Last year, people were really taken by the display, so this year we are adding a few more displays.”

He said the screen is actually a map of North America that is connected to the radios and can pinpoint where and who is on the other end of a two-way communication.

MVARA member Andy Brincko of Boardman helped run the cable from each antenna to the radio equipment inside. He said each antenna is connected and with the field of antennas, the group is able to offer five different radio bands for voice and five for Morse Code.

The public is invited to stop by and check out the exercise and learn more about the hobby of amateur radio.

The weekend is also the North American competition through the Amateur Radio Relay League that includes Mexico and Canada. Last year, the MVARA took third place during the event and the prior year took first place in North America.

The public is invited to check out the Field Day event any time during the 24 hours from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday.