Field Day is an annual operating exercise in which amateur radio operators in the United States and Canada operate for 24 straight hours in order ensure their operating skills and their equipment will work under adverse conditions.
Field Day occurs on the fourth full weekend in June, and tens of thousands of amateur radio operators gather in public parks, local government emergency operations centers, their homes, their cars, and even bicycles and boats to contact as many other stations as possible. Despite the variety of locations, the most active ones are focused on public demonstration of our service and set up temporary radio stations out in the field, to simulate the operating conditions we will face in a real emergency or natural disaster. For more information about the event, please read Jack Dane’s article describing Field Day.
Field Day 2009
Field Day 2009 planning is underway! See our 2009 plans as they progress.
Past Field Days
About Field Day
Written by Jack Daane, KR6CD, this article has appeared in past PAARA newsletters, and explains what Field Day is all about.
- FARS—Foothill Amateur Radio Society
- Located near Rancho San Antonio Park (Highway 280 at Foothill Expressway).
- Sunnyvale ARES
- Located in Raynor Park, 1565 Quail Ave., Sunnyvale, Sunnyvale.
- SBARA—South Bay Amateur Radio Association
- Located in Central Park, Fremont
- WVARA—West Valley Amateur Radio Association (W6PIY)
- Located in Joseph D. Grant County Park (San Felipe group campground), located at 18405 Mount Hamilton Rd, Mount Hamilton, CA 95140; (408) 274-6121.
- MDARC—Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club (W6CX)
- Don’t expect to hear W6CX on VHF this year, looks like they are down low instead of on top of Mount Diablo.
- SFARC—San Francisco Amateur Radio Club (W6PW)
- Located in The Presidio.
- Hayward Radio Club
- Located in Green Ridge Park, Castro Valley.
- Half Moon Bay ARES
- Although the group has not updated its Field Day page since 2002, they are planning on working Field Day from the same location, Venice Beach.
- Saratoga Amateur Radio Association—S.A.R.A.
- S.A.R.A’s Field Day 2005 will be held at Castle Rock State Park, one mile south of Highway 9 on Skyline.
- MARES
- Located in Pinewood Park, Milpitas.
