What Is ARRL Field Day?

One of the best weeks in amateur radio is here, and Saturday marks the start of American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day 2023. This highly anticipated day among the amateur radio community dates all the way back to the year 1933, when the first Field Day came about. Every year since (with the exception of the period during WW2) Field Day has taken place during the month of June, and remains the most popular event in amateur radio to this day. It's described by the ARRL as ham radio's open house because of the display the ham radio community puts on during this special day. Here's a little more on ARRL Field Day, what all the buzz is all about, and what you can do today to join in on this monumental day.

The very first Field Day was was organized by a man named F.E Handy, and it was an absolute hit among the community. It become an instant tradition, with ARRL Field Day taking place in the US as well as Canada annually during the 4th week in June. It's a day for all things ham radio, but some of the main activities for this day include cooking out, camping, emergency response activities, contests and more. Although the contesting is not the main event for everyone, a contest does take place during field day to determine which club is the most prepared to set up their equipment, and make connections on the go.

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Contesting, emergency preparedness, and gathering together in general during field day, gives you and  the amateur radio community a chance to showcase skills, make connections, and demonstrate ham radio's importance to the public.

There are typically around 40,000 participants in field day, and various ham radio users and clubs treat it differently than others. Some do in fact, use the day to better prepare for emergencies, while others use it as more of a get-together, with cookouts, conversations, and leisurely two-way radio operation. The term 'Field Day' refers to setting up a transmitting station 'in the field', meaning you're setting up a temporary station to send communications from in a random place. This practice prepares you for emergency situations so you'll be able to communicate to the rest of the world no matter where you may be. No matter what you do for field day, it should be a celebration. Even if your field day isn't one big party, it's the perfect time to celebrate ham radio's contributions to society and the improvements ham radio has added to the world we live in.

Check out ARRL's Field Day site to get contesting rules, additional resources, and to find a Field Day near you.

We would love to hear what you did for field day this year. Let us know in the comment section! 

Our best field day equipment can be found right here.

Sources:
https://nationaltoday.com/field-day/
http://www.arrl.org/field-day