Welcome to the Frederick Amateur Radio Club!

Join us for FredFest 2025 on Saturday March 22nd from 8am to noon.  We’ll be back at the Independent Hose Company at 310 Baughmans Lane in Frederick.  More details to come.

Please join us for Winter Field Day (WFD) 2025 on January 25th and/or 26th at the K3MMM family farm outside of Emmitsburg.  This is the same venue as last year, but with lessons learned.  While we’ll have some ready to go stations, feel free to bring your own gear including radios and antennas.   The goal of WFD is Emergency Communications (EMCOMM) practice/training.

Couple of things:

• Feel free to bring your own gear to try – we have plenty of space.  Or you can visit and use one of our radios.
• We expect to operate using only batteries and solar power.  Granted, we may have a generator on hand, just in case.  We’ll have some spare batteries available with Anderson PowerPole connections, and can adapt to virtually any radio.
• You do NOT need any particular level of amateur license (or to be licensed at all), as we can act as control operators while you operate.  This is a very friendly opportunity to give HF radio a try, with your only investment being a road-trip to Emmitsburg!
• Winter Field Day runs from 11am Saturday January 25th until 4:59pm Sunday January 26th. We’ll be on site from early-morning Saturday until Sunday afternoon, although there’s a good chance that we’ll pause in the wee hours, as we’re not as young as we once were.
• Official farm address is 17247 Annandale Rd, Emmitsburg. I’ll put the FARC banner at the end of the driveway – but your GPS will get you to the right spot. Our operating spot is: ///soak.disappeared.safety
• Because it’s winter, and the weather is not certain, we’ll either set up in the back field equipment shed, which boasts nearby tall trees and wide open spaces, warmed by a wood stove. Or in the top of the barn, which while unheated, features a roof and walls. If weather is really uncooperative, we can always end up in the farmhouse living room.
• We expect to operate on most amateur bands, using phone, CW & permissible digital modes. 
• If you can’t join us, please try and work us!
• Be SURE to check back periodically for updates as the date draws closer.  It’s winter and the weather plays a significant role in some decisions. Please check back here periodically for updates.
• Find official Winter Field Day documentation here:  https://winterfieldday.org/

We hope to see you there!

Farm site plan for parking and operating locations:

UPDATES:

10January25:

• We are extremely pet-friendly. Bring your horse, hound, heron, or hare, or anything in between. So long as it coexists with others, it’s fine and welcome.
• Good news is that the long-term forecast indicates that mud will NOT be a problem this year.  If that forecast holds out, we’ll easily be able to drive into the field.  I’m thinking that we’ll add a tarp-based fourth side to the equipment shed this year to retain a bit of heat. And add a diesel heater from my home garage.
• Since we’re not super-competitive, I’m thinking that we’ll operate as 4Oscar – up to four simultaneous radios, operating outdoors.  So, our exchange will be K3ERM 4 Oscar Mike Delta Charlie (MDC ARRL section).
• I’m hoping to have a semi-dedicated peer-to-peer Winlink station configured. During the first several hours, it’ll be on 145.09 for local-ish contacts.  After dark, we’ll move it to HF.
• If you have even a hint of mic fright, this type of event is the PERFECT solution, as the exchange is basic and predictable.
• If you have a headset, consider bringing it along, as it can be much easier to hear with background noise.

12January25

• There are a couple of rule changes this year, with the most significant being the hours of operation: We can now start Saturday at 11:00 local time and go until Sunday at 16:59 local (although I doubt we’ll go that late).  Even though we’re allowed to set up Friday, we’ll likely just set up on Saturday morning.
• There are several new “multiplier” objectives, many of which we should be able to accomplish.
• I’ve plowed a big parking area in the field so that the ground gets nice and solid.
• We expect to use “alternative power”, which means batteries and solar.  While all radios, digital data mode computers, and heat needs to be from alternative power, lighting and logging computers are exempt, and can be from commercial power.
• We’ll use 146.58 for talk-in.  It may seem that you’re way off course as you go back the driveway – but just turn left as you pass the barn, and follow the obvious tracks.

In order to streamline accepting dues and other donations and payments, the Frederick Amateur Radio Club will now use Zelle in place of PayPal.  Why?  Because it’s both easy to use and free for both the club and the member, and provides a simpler approach from a tracking and accounting perspective.

What is Zelle?  It’s simply the ACH funds transfer mechanism made “app-friendly”.  Most financial institutions support Zelle natively, either within their web portal or smartphone app – so the “sign up” process is often done within your existing connection to your institution.  On the off-chance that your institution does NOT support Zelle, there is a separate smartphone app that can bridge the gap.  Please know that we are still happy to accept checks and cash at meetings, or checks via the club PO Box.  When sending funds, you’ll send them to treasurer@frederickarc.org and while we’ll know who sent the funds, in the memo line, it’s best to put a note such as “Club Dues for 2025 from (your call sign)”.

Want to know more about Zelle?  Find their Frequently Asked Questions here: Top Zelle Questions | Zelle. Ready to give it a try?  With 2025 just around the corner, it’s a good opportunity to both try Zelle AND send the club dues of $15.  As always, let me know if there are questions.

Mike K3MMM

All Zelle^® trademarks used herein, are the exclusive property of Early Warning Services, LLC and are used with permission

The Frederick Amateur Radio Club holiday party will be held on Monday December 16th at 6pm at the Independent Hose Company social hall (where club meetings are held – 310 Baughmans Lane Frederick – parking and entrance in rear of building).  PLEASE plan to join us for the festivities, and bring your significant-other, friends and neighbors. This will be a pot-luck event, so please plan to bring something to share.

In order to minimize overlap, I’ve made two things:

1. Sign up sheet, where you can let us know what you’ll be bringing.  The sign-up sheet is here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2qxnaPLOEu7UAuN-urjx78QtZEbqRrRD40FaoQmLoCrQAZQ/viewform?usp=dialog
2. Sign up result sheet – so you can know what others have already signed up to bring. The result sheet is here: www.frederickarc.org/holiday2024.html – you may need to refresh your browser to see the very latest entries.

Cheers & 73!
Mike K3MMM