ARRL Field Day, coming up the weekend of June 27-28, often offers an ideal occasion for hams to meet members of the media or the public and to describe the event specifically and Amateur Radio in general. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, and ARRL Public Relations Committee Chair Katie Allen, WY7YL, joined “Ham Radio Now” host Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, to share some views and advice on the topic “What Field Day is REALLY About” and how to convey this to the general public. All three agreed on one big point: Stress that 95 percent of what radio amateurs do is fun.

“Share your excitement,” Allen advised. All also agreed that club members attempting to tell what’s happening at their Field Day site need to avoid ham radio jargon. “Be ‘less hammy’ about it,” Allen suggested.

“Nobody’s going to know what 40 meters is,” Kutzko rejoined, while conceding that it can be hard for hams to avoid using terms such as “fist,” “worked” and “QSO.”

Pearce recommended fine-tuning “an elevator pitch” to tell non-hams about the hobby. The program also critiques some specific ham radio publicity efforts and media encounters.

The June 10 “Ham Radio Now” (HRN No 208) webcast is available on YouTube.