ARRL has an opportunity for those traveling to Dayton Hamvention® who want to activate an NPS unit for National Parks on the Air (NPOTA)! ARRL has secured an operating permit with the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park in downtown Dayton. The special NPOTA activity will be available for visiting operators to enjoy activating an NPOTA unit without having to bring their own gear. The event will run from Friday, May 20, until Sunday, May 22, at the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center. Operations will be from 9 AM-5 PM on Friday and Saturday, and 9 AM-noon on Sunday.

“Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is excited to partner with the ARRL for a National Parks on the Air event during Dayton Hamvention 2016,” said Ryan Qualls, park ranger at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. “The ARRL’s legacy of experimentation, education, and public service is in concert with the National Park Service’s mission. We hope that Hamvention attendees visit the park during their stay in Dayton and learn how Orville and Wilbur Wright, two bicycle mechanics from Ohio, changed the world through their experiments in aviation.”

ARRL Ohio Section Affiliated Club Coordinator John Myers, KD8MQ, is coordinating on-site operations for the event. He is looking for volunteers on Friday and Saturday who would be able to help visiting operators and/or explain NPOTA and Amateur Radio to non-ham park visitors. Even an hour or two of time as a volunteer would be helpful. Contact him to volunteer or to sign up for a 15-minute operating slot. All slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis and all operators are limited to one slot, to make this opportunity available to as many visitors as possible.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the National Park Service and the League to make this location available during Hamvention week,” Myers said.

Vibroplex is donating antennas masts and hardware to the effort, and the ARRL is providing the equipment. The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center is located at 16 South Williams Street in Dayton.