What is Field Day?
Part picnic, part campout, part emergency drill
ARRL Field Day is the most popular on-the-air event in amateur radio in the United States and Canada. Every year, on the fourth full weekend of June, thousands of hams (the ARRL counts more than 31,000) gather with their clubs, schools and friends to set up temporary stations in parks, fields and other open spaces and operate for 24 hours.
Field Day has been an annual event since 1933. It is not a formal contest. It is a friendly on-the-air challenge: make contacts with as many stations as you can while learning to operate in less than ideal conditions.
Why we do it
Practice, outreach and plain old fun
Field Day packs public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach and technical skills into a single weekend. Many stations run on generators, batteries or solar power, just as they would have to if the lights went out, which makes it great practice for the emergency communications and weather spotting our club supports.
- Get radios and antennas on the air quickly, away from the comforts of home
- Show visitors, neighbors and local officials what amateur radio can do
- Give newcomers a chance to try operating with an experienced ham beside them
- Meet fellow hams, share a meal and have a great time
Learn more from the ARRL
The National Association for Amateur Radio
Field Day is organized by the ARRL, and W8CRC is proud to be an ARRL Affiliated Club. Their Field Day pages have the official rules, entry information and a locator to help you find a Field Day site near you.
