ACARA participated in the largest operating event in the Amateur Radio calendar, ARRL Field Day, on Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29, 2025, at the Athens Red Cross. Using the callsign “K8V”, the club succeeded in making 590 contacts on HF and 6 meters, using CW, SSB, and digital modes.
Field Day co-chairs Paul Schulz, WD8SCV, and Drew McDaniel, W8MHV chose to perform the Field Day operation at the Athens Red Cross in Class 2F (two-transmitter, Emergency Operations Center).
Prior to Field Day, Paul had installed cable feed-throughs for power and feedlines into the Jim Crouse Memorial Radio Station at the Athens Red Cross, arranged for the club’s use of the Athens County 9-1-1 Center’s 50′ mobile crank-up tower, and arranged for the club’s use of Appalachian Renewable Power’s solar-power trailer.
The Jim Crouse Memorial Radio Station would serve as the HF CW and SSB station. Additional rooms within the Athens Red Cross would house the HF digital-mode station, the VHF/UHF (6m) station, and the HF Get On the Air (GOTA) station. Antennas for the stations were erected outside the building in the parking and yard areas.
Nine operators made QSOs. John McCutcheon, N8XWO, supervised the VHF/UHF station which was used to make thirty-seven 6m contacts. Jeff Slattery, N8SUZ, operated the Jim Crouse Memorial Radio Station’s IC-7610 transceiver using SSB, and Len Touth, W8VQ, operated the same station using CW. Len also served as a GOTA Coach for Linda Clark, KF8DQV, and Ben Brewster, KF8DES, who operated the GOTA station using SSB and FT8. Bob Schulz, KD9ONG, supervised the HF digital station and operated on FT8. John Schulz, KD9OSV, passed message-traffic using ICS-213, demonstrated Winlink for bonus points, operated late-night HF FT8, and also served as a GOTA coach. Paul Schulz, WD8SCV, worked the late-night/early-morning shift running SSB on the IC-7610, and he also served as a GOTA Coach.
A big “Thank You” goes to Paul and Drew for organizing ACARA’s Field Day operation, to all those who helped with set-up or tear-down, and to all those who operated, logged, or helped earn bonus points!
Eric McFadden, WD8RIF
President, Athens County Amateur Radio Association
Photos:
UPDATE 2025-11-05:
Field Day 2025 results are available on the ARRL website at https://field-day.arrl.org/fdresults.php.
ACARA operating as K8V and W8UKE in Class 2F made 704 QSOs and earned a score of 4,184 points including bonus points. This score placed ACARA in 8th place in Class 2F, out of 57 operations in Class 2F. ACARA placed 1st in Ohio in Class 2F, and 2nd in ARRL Great Lakes Division (which includes Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky) in Class 2F.