ARRL Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.
Be sure to join the ARRL Field Day Facebook Group and share your plans, tips, and tricks to a successful Field Day. When posting content from Field Day, use hashtag #ARRLFD on all social media to receive 100 bonus points!
Please make sure to let others know of this event and invite them along. So far we will have campers from Lethbridge, Milk River, Medicine Hat, and Calgary, and who knows where else!
We’ve also invited some very special guests to join us to find out more about the hobby, the gear and the abilities. Luke Palmer is the EMS man for the City of Lethbridge and Ward Eggli spent 30+ years with the Fire Dept and several years as Fire Boss for the air show here. And our special guests to help open up our FD celebrations, the family of Tom Buchanan VE6ARG (SK) will be along to join us while we pay tribute to Tom’s contribution to HAM radio.
Camping
Camping is still available (there’s lots of space). Again there are NO services but there is non-potable water, free firewood (end cuts from the Truss Plant in town), and out-houses. Sites are so nice and very good size. Please let Gary VE6CV know if you’re planning to camp. For those unfamiliar with the site here’s the location:
- GPS: 49.7566, -113.4061
- 93081 SEC, AB-811
- Fort MacLeod, AB, Canada T0L 0Z0
Handhelds
- In camp we will use 146.54 simplex for in-camp communications
- 446.500 will be cross banded to 146.52 simplex for any VHF contacts
- Note: contacts made through repeaters do not count toward Filed Day points. Simplex only.
Call Sign
Everyone will be using their own individual calls for field day. If this is your first field day, we need to log all contacts and then submit them to ARRL. So if you have a logging program or QRZ online or whatever. You can log with a good ole paper and pencil too.
Pizza Supper
The plan is each person (family) will call Fort Macleod Pizza giving them their order and pay prior to 2:00 PM (tentative). Then they have time to make all the pizzas and have them onsite for 6:00 PM Saturday.
Sunday Breakfast
SAARC has graciously donated to cover breakfast of pancakes, sausages, etc. for Sunday morning. Any and all are welcome. If you will be joining us for breakfast, please let us know in advance so we have all the necessities.
Flea Market
There will be a mini flea market so bring along any treasures (and money) and YOU could be the proud owner of some new goodies.
License Exams
PLEASE let Gary VE6CV know by June 22 if you or someone else intends to write their exam(s). This will allow examiners to be fully prepared. There is no charge for the exams on site.
Media
We’ve been in touch with the Fort Macleod Gazette and have sent along field day info. They will be providing some media coverage for us to add toward FD bonus points.
T-Shirts
There has been some interest in Field Day T-Shirts. If we go with the nice T-Shirt (with pocket) from Marks, the front will be printed with Field Day 2023, and then on the back in large letters each person will have their own call sign. The cost is between $42 and $45 from one source. Each person would need to send in the info, call sign, size and payment and Gary VE6CV will bring the shirts to the FD site.
Additional Info
- Camp site registration will be done at the gate you can pay your camp fees and they will direct you to our area.
- Brian VE6LAY will be taking care of the initial registration, guest book, tickets, pizza order, etc. Please look for Brian when you arrive.
- Dave VA6IRE will be coordinating the Sunday morning breakfast and I’m sure he could use some help there.
- Education sessions:
- VE6LK – SOTA
- VA6TI – POTA
- VE6BGR and VE6CYT – NanoVNA
- VE6VH – AREDN Mesh Network
- VE6CV – FT8, QSL Cards, Mobile HF, APRS
- Rick VE6CW (Saturday ONLY) and Vince VE6LK will be doing ham license exams, upgrades, etc. PLEASE let Gary VE6CV know by June 22 if you or someone else intends to write their exam(s).
- Martin VE6VH will be bringing a pop-up repeater for comms within the camp.
- Tune to 440.8 MHz, +5MHz input, 123.7 PL tone.
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