If you are interested in coming to field day, please fill out the survey to let us know! (Feel free to skip the questions you don’t know.)
You do NOT need to be a member of Monroe County ARES or Monroe Amateur Radio Club to participate with us. In fact, you don’t even have to be an amateur (ham) radio operator! Please, feel free to invite your family, friends, neighbors and especially yourself!
Survey Link: https://forms.gle/PdFn6GVMqA6bx6Pb8
We welcome everyone to come out, see what we are about and learn more about amateur radio!
When and Where is Field Day?
Field Day is always the 4th full weekend in June. Clubs, emcomm groups (such as ARES), and individuals across North America set up operations in various locations to test their ability to deploy and provide communications during times of natural disaster and/or emergencies.
Monroe County ARES and Monroe Amateur Radio Club are doing a joint Field Day operation June 22-23 at Kefauver Park in Madisonville. The address is 214 Industrial Park Rd, in Madisonville (37354.)
What is Field Day?
ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.
Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!
It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.
The contest part is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and to learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations and less than optimal conditions.
We use these same skills when we help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walka-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities.
But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they ARE so complex — ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications in crises when it really matters. Amateur Radio people (also called “hams”) are well known for our communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations
For more information about Field Day, you can visit the ARRL website at https://www.arrl.org/field-day
What to Expect at Field Day?
Here’s some photos from previous Field Day’s and similar events we’ve participated in the past!
