Ever wanted your own private communication channel that didn’t include the use of a cell phone or internet? If your answer is yes, then come to WonderLab on June 15 from 1:30- 4 p.m. to learn about Ham (or amateur) radio!

According to Sarah Lynn Wells, secondary and adult education specialist at WonderLab and organizer of the event, learning about ham radio is an extremely value skill. Just imagine – what if you are in a disaster zone with no access to internet or your trusty cell phone? This is where knowledge about ham radio comes in. Possibility of disaster aside, being an amateur radio operator will open all kinds of fun activities. You can learn a new skill and communicate with others in the ham radio community without a need for internet. You can send images through SSTV (slow-scan television). You can even sometimes listen to crew members on the International Space Station!

The event is sponsored by the Bloomington Amateur Radio Club and club members will be at the museum. BARC is involved in Monroe county emergency preparedness, local weather spotting, and providing communication for the Indiana Science Olympiad and Hilly hundred bicycle ride.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about morse code, SSTV,  and radio circuitry. Morse code uses dots and dashes to denote alphabets. Guests will learn to use the morse code and use devices to communicate their messages. Additionally, build-your-own radio kits will be available for the guests to purchase. To understand different components of circuits, materials will be available to learn the know-hows of radio hardware.

WonderLab’s National Ham Radio Day event is free with museum admission. Activities are appropriate for all ages.

WonderLab is an award-winning science museum located at 308 W. Fourth St. on the B-Line Trail in Bloomington, Indiana. The museum is open to the public from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 5: p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 – 5 p.m. on Sunday. General admission is $9, and children younger than one are free. For more information call (812) 337-1337, or go online to wonderlab.org or WonderLab’s Facebook page.