WC3Q :: Radio Amateur Station in Silver Spring, Maryland: Field Day

Field Day 2012

I spent Saturday (mid-morning until dusk) at the Arlington Radio Public Service Club Field Day site. ARPSC hosted special event station K5G from 12noon to 2pm Eastern on 20 meters for the Global Emergency Radio Coalition (GERC) and I was the primary operator for this activation. Once the clock hit 2pm Eastern, we activated W4AVA and I operated the 20 meter station for the first few hours of Field Day 2012. Good weather, nice friends, food and fun!

Annual Nationwide Amateur Radio Preparedness Drill

ARPSC participation begins
Saturday, June 23 at 2 p.m.

ARRL Field Day is perhaps the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in North America. Each year over 35,000 amateurs gather with others to operate.

Field Day is not your "typical" contest, which explains much of its popularity. It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles.

While some treat Field Day as a contest, most use the event as opportunity to exercise emergency response capabilities.

Field Days as a Novice Operator

Dick LaFrance,
KA1GSL (SK)

My first Field Day was as a novice and was sponsored by the Pilgrim Amateur Wireless Association in Taunton, MA. PAWA was an ARRL affiliated amateur radio club that also provided auxiliary communication services to the City of Taunton under the RACES protocol. Dick, KA1GSL and other members of PAWA were helpful "Elmers" who coordinated the first Field Day events that I attended in the 1980's. I recall assisting with beverage runs, working as a relief operator and even serving as sous chef. Fun times!

After a lengthy hiatus from ham radio (due in part to college, new careers, grad school), I managed to get back into the experience with the Arlington Radio Public Service Club in Arlington County, VA. I've worked as a radio
operator in an APRSC-sponsored exercise since June, 2006.

APSRC Field Day

"ARPSC will use high frequency (HF) and very high frequency (VHF) communications equipment, multiple antennas, emergency power only, and support equipment to demonstrate emergency communication capabilities. Modes of communication may include voice, Morse Code and digital modes such as PSK31. The Field Day operation will include a Get On The Air station for new ham radio operators or prospective hams who would like to try their hand at operating and logging contacts." (ARPSC Press Release, 2012).

Minor Hill Park, Arlington, VA

Minor Hill Park is located at 3400 North Powhatan Street, Arlington, Virginia 22213, 1.25 miles north of I-66 on North Sycamore Street at North Powhatan Street. Turn left at Powhatan and the park entrance will be to the left 400 feet beyond the intersection and just beyond 35th Street, North.

Talk-in [is available] on the W4AVA repeater 146.625 MHz (CTCSS tone 107.2)."