Our Field Day in Detail#
The largest amateur radio event in the US, Field Day is projected to involve over 35,000 people this year. It’s a casual, fun event of learning, socializing, and radio. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to get on the air, including those without an amateur radio license.
This year…
Field Day will take place on June 22nd and 23rd, 2024.
The setup#
Starting on Friday, we will take over a field at South Seattle College and set up transceivers, antennas, and plenty of other gear, operating 100% on emergency power. The goal is to replicate an emergency scenario where no mains power is available and everything has to be brought on-site, including the antennas. A handful of folk will be putting up tents, deploying antennas, setting up radios, configuring some infrastructure for a local area network, and preparing food. Want to help out? Fill out our short survey.
The objective#
During official running hours from 11:00 on Saturday morning to 14:00 on Sunday, we will make as many contacts as possible on several HF, VHF, and UHF bands, and using SSB, CW, and digital modes. We score points for every recorded contact, so come help out and operate the stations! If you’re new to HF or contesting, we will have mentors ready to help you make contacts and log them. If you’d like to operate a station, please let us know.
Field Day has some simple rules, but don’t worry if you’re new to Field Day or radio in general – there will be plenty of people to help out and show you how to operate the stations and make contacts.
Note
You can get the ARRL’s take on Field Day here.
The activities#
In addition to the main goal of making contacts, our Field Day includes many educational activities. Check out our schedule for more information about when you can build antennas, work satellites, and try your hand at sending Morse code.
Don’t have your license? New to radio?#
Whether you don’t have an amateur radio license, or you recently got your ticket, you’re welcome to get on the air!
For our non-ham friends, our Get On The Air (GOTA) station will have you on the air and experiencing HF radio. A licensed operator will sit with you and guide you through your first exchanges. Welcome to the world of radio!
For those with a license, there will be plenty of experienced Field Day folk around to guide you and show you new things. Listen in on the CW tent, get on HF, or run the digital station. Field Day is a great learning opportunity.
How do I participate?#
The best way to let us know you’re interested, in whatever kind of participation, is to fill our our short survey. Then, we can be in touch with you to answer any questions you might have and to help you get involved.