Frederick Amateur Radio Club Field Day Operational Overview

Each year on the fourth full weekend of June the American Radio Relay League (arrl.org) sponsors Field Day, where some 31,000 amateur radio operators leave their home-based radio rooms and set up temporary transmitting stations, in order to practice and demonstrate the ability to communicate with the world.  For 2026, the Frederick Amateur Radio Club (FARC) will host field day operations at Remsberg Park, located at 7408 Holter Rd in Middletown MD.  We welcome and encourage ANYONE from the greater community to visit!

Why Field Day?

The event serves four primary purposes:

• Emergency Preparedness: Operators practice setting up portable antennas and transceivers rapidly, running entirely on emergency power (like batteries and solar power). It ensures that if traditional infrastructure fails, hams are ready to provide vital communication lifelines.
• Public Outreach: It acts as a massive “open house”. Clubs across the US and Canada invite the general public, local officials, and emergency personnel to see how amateur radio works. Non-licensed individuals can even get on the air to make live contacts under the supervision of a licensed operator.
• Technical Skill Building: Hams learn how to operate in abnormal, less-than-optimal environments. They test equipment limits and see what works best when traditional power and tall towers aren’t available.
• Community and Contesting: It’s a highly social campout and a friendly competition. Participants attempt to contact as many other stations as possible in a 24-hour period, sharpening their speed and radio etiquette.

Timeline:

• Setup begins on Saturday June 27th at 8am
• Radio operations commence at 2pm
• Radio operations must conclude by 2pm on Sunday June 28th

Radio-specific details:

• We plan to operate as “4A”, which means four radios on the High Frequency (HF) bands plus one radio on VHF band (50MHz and higher) and one “Get on the Air” (GOTA) station.
• The GOTA station is intended for use by unlicensed or newly-licensed operators, with assistance from a seasoned operator.
• Using physical antenna separation, a mix of horizontal and vertical orientation, and a series of bandpass filters, we will minimize interference between operators.
• Our full Field Day exchange will be: K3ERM, 4A, MDC, verbalized as Kilo three Echo Romeo Mike, four Alpha, Mike Delta Charlie.  The exchange decodes as:
  • K3ERM is the club call sign, which is used on all radios except for the GOTA station.
  • 4A means four radios, and A=we’re an organized club
  • MDC is our ARRL section of Maryland/District of Columbia
• Field Day contact logging will be via N3FJP’s software product, using a small network of laptop computers.  The logging process is very straight-forward.

Grounds layout:

• We will have at least five canopy tents in a central cluster, with a variety of antennas arranged outward from the center.
• Social space and refreshments will be located in the nearby pavilion
• Permanent rest rooms are located within 200 feet of the main operational area.
• Camping is permitted during this event, so feel free to bring a tent for a quick nap

Emergency plan:

• Should inclement weather threaten, we will disconnect radio to antenna connections and then take shelter in the pavilion.
• If the pavilion proves inadequate, individuals may shelter in their personal vehicles.
• Basic first aid supplies will be readily available, should the need arise.

Furnishings and sustenance:

• Meals will be a pot-luck type of arrangement.
• Steve K3STE has generously donated hamburgers and hot dogs, along with associated accoutrement.
• See the shared spreadsheet (Field Day 2026 Shared Spreadsheet) for up to date specifics.  If you’re not an editor, please send a note to K3MMM@arrl.net and I’ll empower you.

 

Please join us on Monday June 15^th at 7pm, where the topic of discussion will be: Field Day! Field Day! Field Day! That’s right – it’s the other most wonderful time of the year. So far, the firm decisions concerning Field Day 2026 are:

• It’ll be held at Remsberg Park, at 7408 Holter Rd in Middletown.

At the meeting, we’ll discuss the quantity of stations, the layout, who will bring what, etc. I’ve replicated the shared spreadsheet from last year as a starting point. If you were an editor last year, you’re an editor this year. I would be happy to give anyone editor access – just send me a note. The link to view only is here: FARC Field Day 2026

Please join the conversation on Monday! We meet in the social hall of the Independent Hose (fire) Company, located at 310 Baughmans Lane in Frederick. Parking and hall entrance are in the rear of the building. We welcome anyone from the community who has even the slightest interest in radio communication. The social hour begins at 6pm, so come catch up with your radio family.

Meetings are always best in person, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. Second best is via Zoom, using this link: FARC Zoom 2026

Please have your call sign or name in your Zoom profile, so that we can distinguish you from a bot.

If you have any questions, send me a note using my call sign @arrl.net

73!
Mike K3MMM

Come help us find the missing foxes on Saturday May 30th at 8am.  This event will more closely resemble a search mission as compared to our normal foxhunt.  Helpful hint: it might be useful to have two handheld radios, particularly if one has AM/Air band. Come join the fun!