For many hams, Field Day is a highlight of the year. It provides hams an opportunity to pack up radio gear and set up operation from the great outdoors.
Saturday and Sunday, June 24th and 25th, are the dates for this year's Amateur Radio Field Day in which hams across North America participate.
However, the 24-hour operating event is not just for hams or SFTARC members. The public is invited to visit and observe the operation. The club is expecting to operate voice, CW and digital (FT8) modes with three stations on the HF bands plus a 6-meter station. A GOTA (Get on the Air) station will also be provided to let new-commers and visitor operate the radio under the guidance of an experienced operator.
The SFTARC’s Field Day will be held at the Ensor Museum in southwest Olathe, on 183rd St, just west of Ridgeview Rd. Key times are:
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- Friday morning, June 23, about 7:30 am: Initial antenna setup
- Saturday morning, June 24, 9 am: Continued setup
- Saturday noon: Hot-dog lunch provided by the club
- Saturday afternoon, 1 pm: On-the-air operation begins
- Saturday evening, 6 pm: Chicken dinner provided by the club
- Sunday morning, June 25, about 7:30 am: Breakfast served
- Sunday noon: Lunch (most likely leftovers)
- Sunday 1 pm: Radio operations terminate, and we begin taking down the stations and antennas.
Is it fun? Yes! But Field Day also has a deeper purpose, serving as emergency-preparation exercise. By setting up and operating under simulated-emergency conditions, hams gain skills that would be useful in times of emergencies where we are needed to provide communications independent of existing infrastructure.
As a bonus, a local Model A club will be displaying these vintage Fords on Saturday afternoon.
Consider this an invitation to attend the SFTARC’s FD event.