The local ham radio club, OARS (Olympia Amateur Radio Society) is at it again. The largest, most significant, most challenging, most fun event of the year is scheduled for June 23 & 24, 2018. ARRL Field Day is the most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada.
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.
This is our biggest event of the year and we have been planning for it since late last year. The 2018 OARS Field Day will be at the home of Duane Braford, WB7ROZ, at 8901 Rich Rd SE.
Who: All OARS/ARES members and their families and friends are invited to attend. We will also be welcoming the general public and elected officials. Licensed hams will be able to operate one of our radios during the contest, non-licensed hams (you are interested in the hobby, but you have yet to be licensed) will be able to operate for short “demonstration” periods under the direct supervision of a licensed ham.
What: ARRL Field Day 2018, the largest “on the air” event of the year in the ham radio world. It is a test of how well we can setup and operate a communications hub under less than ideal conditions. Last year daytime temperatures during the event flirted with 100 degrees!
When: Field Day is Saturday June 23 from 11:00 AM PDT through Sunday June 24 at 11:00 AM PDT. This is a full 24-hour period and we plan on being on the air for the entire 24 hours.
Where: The Field Day site is at 8901 Rich Rd SE, Olympia.
What Else:
Parking: Enter the field directly South of Duane’s yellow house on Rich Rd and park in the roped off area along the fence and adjacent to the trees. Parking in Duane’s driveway is for authorized vehicles only and it will be roped off.
What to bring: be prepared for the weather, as noted above, last year was close to 100 degrees but this is the Pacific Northwest, prepare for anything. Bring a small collapsible chair and some portable shade (umbrella), water, camera.
Miscellaneous:
• Please leave your pets at home or in your car.
• Parents are responsible for your children so keep them close. Running children who trip over a guy wire or cable could be injured and could cause major damage to an antenna structure.
• The site will have uneven ground and many trip hazards so be very careful while walking around.
• All guy lines, antennas, and cables will be marked with yellow or orange tape so pay attention to your surroundings while on site.
• Above all, be safe and have fun!
Please visit us sometime during the 24-hour period outlined above. Come and have some fun, get on the radio, learn something new, discover a new hobby, and meet some great people.
Phil Cornell – W7PLC
OARS Member-at-Large
