🏕️ Ham Radio Field Day: The Super Bowl of Amateur Radio
Once a year, ham radio operators across North America grab their gear, pitch tents, and fire up their radios for one of the most exciting events in the hobby: Field Day.
Whether you’re a new Technician or a lifelong Extra, ARRL Field Day is your chance to test your skills, show off your setup, and connect with fellow operators. It’s also a great opportunity to help your club earn points and introduce the magic of amateur radio to the public.
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📅 When Is It?
Field Day takes place every year on the fourth full weekend of June.
https://hamlike.com/events/5
Operations begin at 1800 UTC on Saturday and continue for 24 hours. Many groups begin setting up as early as 1800 UTC on Friday, although no transmissions (other than setup tests) are allowed until the official start.
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🛰️ What’s It About?
Field Day is:
- An emergency preparedness exercise
- A technical challenge
- A community outreach opportunity
- A lot of fun
- And it is not a “contest”
Participants set up temporary stations in parks, fields, backyards, and even mountaintops. The goal is to operate under field conditions using portable power and antennas, and to make as many contacts as possible.
While there is a scoring system and logs can be submitted, the main purpose is education, readiness, and public engagement.
Bonus points are awarded for:
✅ Operating on emergency power
✅ Satellite contacts
✅ Public location and media exposure
✅ Involving youth and public officials
✅ Using CW or digital modes
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🛠️ Why It Matters
Field Day isn’t just about making contacts. It’s about:
- Practicing emergency communication readiness
- Testing gear and deployment strategies
- Bonding with your local club or community
- Welcoming new people into the hobby
In a real emergency, the ability to quickly deploy a working station can be critical. Field Day helps operators stay sharp and discover what works (and what doesn’t) before it really matters.
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📡 How to Join
Check with your local ham radio club — many organize public Field Day sites.
If not, you can operate solo from home, a campsite, or anywhere you can legally and safely set up. You don’t need to be in a group to participate. Many hams work individually and still log results.
If you plan to submit your log to ARRL, include your callsign, class, and section.
And don’t forget to take photos and share your Field Day experience right here on HamLike.com. Other hams love seeing creative setups and real-world solutions.
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🗨️ Share Your Setup!
Are you planning to operate for Field Day? What gear are you bringing?
Post your plans or photos right here and give others some ideas and inspiration!
📌 Use the tag: #FieldDay or start a thread with your callsign and setup details.
We’ll be watching the top posts to feature on the homepage.
And if you’re operating alone this year, just remember…
You’re not really alone when you’re on the air.
good luck!
