It’s a wrap! Let’s Look Back at Field Day!
After months of planning, ARRL Summer Field Day 2026 is officially in the books — and what a weekend it was.
If you’ve never been behind the scenes of a Field Day operation, it’s easy to underestimate what goes into it. Securing a location. Deciding what class to operate as. Obtaining a special event call sign. Accounting for every antenna, radio, laptop, headset, and cable. Recruiting volunteers. Coordinating meal prep. Planning media coverage. Setting up a GOTA station and a Skywarn display. Arranging for public greeting and orientation. Organizing camping logistics. And when the dust settles on Sunday, compiling all of the QSO and bonus point data and getting it submitted to the ARRL.
But at the heart of it all? Knowing you can get setup and operate in the event of an emergency – getting on the radio and making contacts-sharing a meal-and catching up with friends you haven’t seen in a while, and making new friends! By the way, we had over 70 attendees!
The Setup
Saturday morning at YMCA Camp Winnebago started early. Volunteers arrived at 9:00 AM to begin transforming the site into a fully operational, off-grid radio station. Antennas went up, radios were tested, laptops were configured for N3FJP logging, and headsets were checked. Running 3-Alpha this year meant getting three separate stations ready to operate simultaneously — all on portable power.
On the Air
At 1:00 PM, the operating began. This year we had stations running phone (SSB), CW, and FT8 — and all three saw plenty of action. Operators and loggers worked throughout the 24-hour event, with headsets on and fingers flying. Whether it was the steady rhythm of voice contacts, the classic sound of Morse code, or the digital precision of FT8, our operators kept the QSOs coming around the clock.
Welcoming the Public
During our public open house from 1:00 to 6:00 PM Saturday, visitors were greeted and given an orientation of the site and what Field Day is all about. Guests had the chance to see portable antenna setups, watch operators make live contacts across the country, and learn about emergency communications firsthand.
The GOTA — Get On The Air — station gave unlicensed visitors and newer hams the chance to actually sit down and experience ham radio with the guidance of a licensed operator. The Winnebago County Skywarn display highlighted the critical role that trained volunteer ham and GMRS operators play during severe weather events.
The Food
You can’t run a 24-hour operation on radio waves alone. This year we went big with both lunch and dinner. Lunch featured grilled burgers and hot dogs with all the fixings, chips, and salads. Dinner was the highlight — pulled pork, cheesy potatoes, smoked mac & cheese. Sunday morning wrapped up with donuts and coffee before tear down.
Thank You
Field Day doesn’t happen without the volunteers who give their time — from the setup crew at 9:00 AM Saturday to the tear-down team at noon on Sunday, and everyone in between. Operators, loggers, greeters, cooks, and the behind-the-scenes organizers who pulled it all together — thank you.
Field Day is amateur radio’s biggest event for a reason. It brings together everything we do — public service, emergency preparedness, technical skill, and community — into one incredible weekend. We’re already looking forward to next year.
#ARRLFD | rockfordara.org | w9axdrara@gmail.com
