ARRL Field Day (https://www.arrl.org/field-day) will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29, 2025. As we did last year, our operations will take place in the air-conditioned Athens Red Cross facility, 100 South May Avenue (map). Set-up will begin at 10:30am on Saturday, with a safety briefing / training session at 10:45am, followed by assembly of the station.
Field Day operations will start at 2pm Saturday and will run through 2pm Sunday, with tear-down starting at 2pm on Sunday. The weather will be extremely hot with the threat of thunderstorms, but we will be inside. We will operate as class 2F (two transmitter class, Emergency Operations Center).
The Field Day operation will include an HF station for CW and SSB; an HF station for digital; a 6m VHF station for SSB, CW, and digital; and a “Get On the Air” (GOTA) station that will be operational, weather permitting, from 4:00 Saturday until the end of the event.
Everyone is encouraged to take a turn at operating. Although participating stations earn a score based on the number of contacts and mode, Field Day is not a contest, and our aim is to give all hams a chance to get on the air and have fun.
The Field Day Educational Activity will take place at 3:30pm and will be an introduction to Winlink presented by John Schulz, KD9OSV, and will include a demonstration of sending eleven messages. This will be followed by a demonstration on Sunday at 11am with a confirmation of messages sent. In addition, John, N8XWO, will give a Radio Ground Safety Training program at about dinner time on Saturday. Dinner is scheduled Saturday 5:30-7pm and all are invited to join; you may share your favorite dish with the group, if you wish.
ACARA Vice-President Paul Schulz, WD8SCV, is our Field Day Chairman and he will be on-site to coordinate operations. Any questions you have may be directed to him at luhrigian@yahoo.com.
ARRL Field Day is the biggest ham radio operating event of the year in North America and tens of thousands of radio amateurs will participate. Please make plans to join us this year.
73!
Drew McDaniel W8MHV
ACARA Treasurer / Membership Coordinator
Field Day Co-chair