We have decided to terminate ops at the park no later then 9 PM Saturday, January 24th. Combined with the severe cold, the risk of people not being able to get home in the morning is too great. We greatly appreciate everyone’s support today. We did activate and log a decent number of QSOs, so it was not in vain. If you have equipment at the park and can come retrieve it within the next hour or two, please do. Otherwise, we will return it at the February club meeting. Thank you to all who helped!
Winter Field Day 2026 will be on held on Saturday, January 24th and Sunday, January 25th. As in previous years, we will once again operate from the Harvest Home Park barn in Cheviot at 3961 North Bend Rd, 45211. Setup will being at approximately 11 AM on Saturday and cleanup will begin no later than 2 PM on Sunday. Visitors are always welcome!
Our event has all of the same social aspects as the club’s ARRL Field Day event in June but with the added element of winter weather. The barn provides us shelter from precipitation while still allowing us to qualify as an “outdoor” operation since it is an uninsulated structure with no heating system. While we try to provide a little bit of warmth with some propane heaters, you will still want to dress appropriately for the weather. If you are willing to help with setup and/or tear down, you should also plan for your footwear to potentially get muddy, depending on conditions. Note that you should bring your own chair.
Another aspect that is different from the June event is that at WFD, there is more of a focus on experimentation. Have a radio you want to get some help with? Bring it and we’ll see if we can get it on the air. Want to try out an antenna you’ve got? Find a place to set it up and we’ll plug it in and see what happens. Basically as long as whatever you want to try is compatible with the rules of the event, good radio practices and fits in our classification, we’ll probably help you try it.
Please plan to join us (even if just for a bit)! It’s a fun time and there will be plenty of operating opportunities for anyone interested. If you are willing to help out (especially over night), please e-mail ac8uj@arrl.net and let Ryan know when you plan to be there. Hope to see you there!
Please see the official Winter Field Day website for rules and details: https://www.winterfieldday.com/
Good luck and 73!