There are a few constants you can count on for ARRL Field Day in Florida. It will rain at some point during the weekend. At least once, we will have to stop transmitting because of lightning in the area. The food will be excellent. And most importantly, people will have fun.
Four Clubs, One Field Day
The combined effort of the Clearwater Amateur Radio Club, St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club, Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club, and the Glorious Society of the Wormhole came together at the Clearwater Fire Training Center on the weekend of June 27, 2026. Our goal was to participate in ARRL’s annual Field Day operating event.
Field Day, for those who may not know, is part emergency preparedness exercise, part social club function, part picnic, and part contest, all rolled into one. Whatever you call it, there is usually something for everyone at Field Day.
Setup: Hot Weather, Serious Radios
We started unloading at 8:00 AM Saturday morning, and after a safety briefing, setup began in earnest at 9:00 AM. The respective teams for antennas, coax, radios, and computers went to work. Because it was exceedingly hot, the outside teams were under the watchful eye of our safety coordinator.
Inside, teams went to work unboxing the UPARC Elecraft K3 radios and a loaned Elecraft K4 for the SSB station. We had CW, SSB, and FT8 available. Our 6‑meter “free VHF” station was set up and ended up making 88 FT8 contacts all around the US.
Paul KC4YDY working 6 meter “free” VHF station [Photo by KR4ESB]By around 11:00 AM, the stations had basic functionality, and the final tweaks began. That brought us to noon and our first meal of the day: burgers and dogs. As we continued fine‑tuning, designated the operators who would kick us off at 2:00 PM, and chased down any last‑minute appearances of Murphy, everything came together. By 2:00 PM we had four stations on the air, calling CQ and making contacts.
Food Team: Keeping Operators Going
For dinner, we had BBQ expertly cooked by Orin K4OLE, along with side dishes, fried chicken, and desserts. We are grateful to the food team that takes such good care of us. Ron W4RFA and Ruth do a great job planning and keeping the operators well fed, and the teams that support the food crew are invaluable.
New Operators On The Air
Our goal this year was to get new operators on the stations—specifically, people who may have attended Field Day in the past but never actually got on the radio and made a contact. We set a goal to exceed last year’s new‑operator count of seven, and we surpassed it by one, with Dee W4DCH putting us over the top.
Hand in hand with our new‑operator focus, we had 33 unique operators make at least one contact. We were very pleased to exceed our goals, because getting people on the air who might not otherwise make a contact is an important part of Field Day.
Technical Corner: Triplexer And Filters
Among the more interesting things we saw this year was work by Dave Shuey WA3VRE, who built UPARC’s new triplexer. Dave brought out his HP network analyzer to test the bandpass filters we were using with the triplexer. These were the Dunestar filters that had originally been used with our first Dunestar triplexer—the one that burned up on 10 meters. After testing them, Dave recommended that we retire those filters in favor of his “beefier” filters.
Station Monitoring And Education
We also had an updated station‑monitoring system feeding the big‑screen TV in the chow hall. This display shows our contacts, new operators, and real‑time radio information. It’s always fun to add something new to Field Day each year, and since we operate from the same location, new tools help keep it interesting.
Chow Hall Dashboard [Photo by KR4ESB]Fred W2SUB presented his usual education sessions on Introduction to Ham Radio and Field Day. Fred consistently does an excellent job with these sessions, and they drew quite a few new attendees.
How Did We Do?
We made 1357 contacts and worked all ARRL sections except four Canadian sections.
Jeff NE4C led our QSO totals again but had strong competition from Bruce K2BHS, Kenny K4OB, Glenn N4GRC, Dave KR4U and Paul KC4YDY making 88 QSOs on 6 meters..
Our total contacts were spread across CW, SSB, and FT8, with a healthy mix of modes.
Shutdown And Tear‑Down
True to Florida tradition, the rain did eventually arrive, and we shut down operations at 1:35 PM and began tear‑down. We were out of the site shortly after 3:00 PM.
Why Field Day Still Matters
This was a team effort spread across four clubs, and words cannot fully express the gratitude the Field Day committee has for everyone who helped. While some may question the relevance of Field Day in the age of POTA, we see those skills as complementary. At our Field Day, you get to operate serious radios and work on antenna projects that rival a well‑equipped home station.
We use Field Day to test ourselves in solving the inevitable problems that arise. Even with careful planning, there is always something to capture in the after‑action reports and improve for next time.
And then there is the social aspect. Field Day is part emergency‑preparedness exercise, part contest, and largely a social occasion. The conversations at Field Day deepen friendships and remind us that this is not a solitary hobby or service. We are communicators, and that includes talking and working with one another in person as well as on the air.
Field Day is very much still relevant, and if you missed it this year, we encourage you to join the club at Winter Field Day and at future ARRL Field Days.
Our thanks to Tim KR4ESB for many of the pictures on this page.
Paul KC4YDY working 6 meter “free” VHF station [Photo by KR4ESB]
ARRL Field Day is a combined event to test our ability to setup radio communication under less than ideal conditions–think temporary antennas, generators and radio gear. Our event this year is a combined event with four clubs—the Clearwater Amateur Radio Society (CARS), St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club (SPARC), the Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club (UPARC) and the Glorious Society of the Wormhole (Worms). The date is Saturday, June 27th starting at 2:00 PM EDT until Sunday, June 28th at 2:00 PM EDT. Setup generally begins in earnest at 8:00 AM on Saturday morning. The location for all of this is the Clearwater Fire Department Fire Training Center at 1716 N. Belcher Road in Clearwater. Click here for a map.
The operation is comprised of 3 HF stations (two Elecraft K3 radios and one Elecraft K4D). We also have a 6 meter station and a satellite station. We use TR4W for logging and WSJT-X for FT8 operations. All operations are inside in the training center building (air conditioning since it is Florida in June). For modes, we run SSB (voice), FT8 and CW. For CW operators, a Bencher paddle is provided but if you have a favorite paddle or straight key, bring it along. The computer sends CW as well. No experience is necessary beyond a willingness to learn and try something new. If you have never operated a radio, we have plenty of people to show you how to make your first contact. In no time, you will be working stations all over the US and Canada. If you plan on operating, please bring your own headphones. For sanitary reasons, we do not share headphones or microphone headsets. We have adapters for your headphones as well as Heil and RadioSport cables. We also have desk mics for the radios for those that do not have microphone headsets.
We have the equipment all arranged as well as food and drink. Lunch is provided. The main dish (meat) for Saturday dinner is provided by the clubs, with the side dishes and desserts provided by attendees bringing a dish to share (more details to follow). We do ask a few things related to food:
One, we need to know you are coming so please sign up by clicking here so we have an accurate count of the people attending so we do not run out of food.
We also ask that if you are coming for dinner on Saturday, bring a dish (side or dessert) to share with everyone (no, a bag of chips is not a side-dish).
If you do sign-up for meals but your plans change, please let us know so we have as accurate a count as possible.
The public is welcome as one of the purposes of Field Day is to introduce amateur radio to new people.
Field Day is the premier event on our club calendars and we hope to see as many club members and guests as possible. Remember, Saturday June 27th–rain or shine–at 2:00 PM EDT with setup starting at 8:00 AM.
Do you like operating in the field but hate dripping in sweat while setting up antennas? Does the idea of enduring another Field Day constantly fighting off every mosquito in Tampa Bay make you wish they held Field Day in January? Well, you’re in luck! Winter Field Day is an event very similar to the June ARRL Field Day except—you guessed it—it’s held in Winter. Specifically January 24 & 25, 2026. This is a joint operation with both the Clearwater Amateur Radio Society (CARS) and the Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club (UPARC). The event will be held at the Clearwater Fire Training Facility on Belcher Road south of Sunset Point Road in Clearwater. Prior efforts were a great success.
Winter Field Day is a 24 hour operating exercise where hams across the country go to the field, setup portable stations running on emergency power with temporary antennas. This event is not sponsored by the ARRL but the Winter Field Day Association. It has been operating since 2007 and gets bigger each year. There are several differences from the ARRL Field Day. Notably, there are only four classes of operation: (Outdoor, Indoor, Mobile and Home). We will be operating 3 HF stations capable of SSB, Digital modes like PSK31 and CW plus a satellite station. As with summer Field Day, you will work stations operating from home and also indoors in non-traditional settings. But when you work outside stations in Minnesota, please try not to comment on how it is a chilly 65 degrees here. They may not share your amusement. 🙂
We have the radio and computers secured and a pretty good handle on the supplies as this is the 7th event the clubs have done from this facility. We need people to help with putting things up, some people to help with food and of course, operators. Setup begins at 8:30 AM on Saturday 1/25. Three radios will be going 24 hours from 2:00 PM Saturday to 2:00 PM on Sunday so we need people that can operate. No experience is necessary. If you are brand new to ham radio, you are welcome to come out and with a little training; you get to operate the radios. If you are interested in operating portable, you will get first hand experience in how to setup a station outside with no other infrastructure. Additionally, if you are interested in Emergency Communications, you have the opportunity to setup in a unusual location, operating radios on generator power. Note that is just like people had to do in Houston and Puerto Rico after the hurricanes so if you are an EMCOMM operator, this event is tailor made for you. Plus you will be on the grounds of the premiere fire training facility in the area.
We have a great facility in the Clearwater Fire Training Center including access to the classrooms, rest rooms, etc. However, all operating is outside (tentatively but could change) with portable antennas. While this is winter in Florida, we hope the weather is nice but past year’s Winter Fields were cold and rainy so you never know what you will get.
Here is a Google Map to the location. This is centrally located to most club members in the county so we hope the facility proves to be a success for all.
The transceivers used are three Elecraft K3 radios (UPARC has three of them). We use computers for logging with the TR4W contest logger. Note this is a departure for SPARC as the standard at the club station is N1MM but you will find TR4W easy to pickup. It is also very forgiving to new operators and will not let you enter the info wrong. You are welcome to download TR4W and play with it to get used to the software but it is pretty easy to use. We will have more training on that at the January meeting.
Sign up is available now by clicking here so please save the date and plan on attending. Please sign up as soon as it is available. Don’t forget to bring anything you might need for the weekend (we recommend a camp chair and cool weather gear–more details on what to bring will be sent before the event).
Club banners and satellite antenna [Photo by AF4O]It would be somewhat trite to say we got the band back together for ARRL Field Day this year, but that is nonetheless what we did. Members of SPARC teamed up with members from the Clearwater Amateur Radio Society and the Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club for the annual ARRL Field Day this past June. Specifically, June 27 and 28th at the Clearwater Fire Training Center off of Belcher Road.
We have been at this facility before with both the other clubs for the most recent Winter Field Day in January and in years past. It is a wonderful facility and sharing the workload with the other clubs allows us to put on what I think is a better event. As with other Field Days in the summer, we opt to setup temporary antennas but we do operate inside. We also use commercial power (since for a real emergency, we are well-versed in using the generators and the Clearwater EOC which is also at this facility has a generator).
We set out to run 3 stations plus the free VHF station for 6 meters and the satellite station. This all went to plan with the three UPARC Elecraft K3 radios, Paul KC4YDY (“6 meter Paul”) Yaesu radio for 6m and the 9700/Arrow antenna satellite station.
We grabbed the usual bonus points such as the natural power QSOs, a visit by a served agency, passing the Field day message to the Section Manager and copying the Field Day bulletin. We also managed to send 10 NTS messages from attendees and even had a youth contact. While we always get the media publicity bonus, this year thanks to the tenacity of Bruce K2BHS, we did it in style.
WFLA Comes to Town
Bruce K2BHS joined the Field Day Planning Committee with the intention of acting as the public relations person. Bruce sent invitations to various elected officials, served agencies and many media outlets. This paid off handsomely. Bruce was contacted by WFLA that they wanted to do a live broadcast from our Field Day site on Sunday morning starting at 6:00 AM. Yes, 6:00 AM on Sunday–not a typo. Reporter Jenna Bass and her camera operator came out to the site and setup for their live shot. But it wasn’t just one live shot. Bruce did three on-camera interviews. You can see one of those videos here.
Jenna Bass of WFLA talks to Kenny K4OB [Photo by AF4O]Jenna Bass of WFLA and Bruce K2BHS during one of the Live Standups [Photo by AF4O].The video at the end of this article is a later video they did at 6:00 PM on the Sunday of Field Day. This has more “action shots” and interviews with other members.
So how did we do?
We made over 2400 QSOs this year. The three HF stations stayed busy as did the 6m station. Here is a map of all the ARRL sections we contacted:
ARRL Sections WorkedAll operators making at least one QSOGraph showing how active the stations were. Notice even overnight stayed relatively busy.
Olev at the Digital station [Photo by N4OHI’s camera]Orin KG1S (foreground), Bruce K2BHS, Danielle, Jeff NE4C and Jason N4BOZ on the background [Photo by N4OHI]
I have plenty of pictures yet to put in a gallery. But this gives you an idea of the event. More to come…
On Saturday June 21, members of CARS, SPARC and UPARC met at the Clearwater Fire Training Center for the Field Day Dry-Run. This is where we setup the radios and computers to ensure we have all the necessary cables for this coming weekend’s ARRL Field Day. We do not setup the antennas or coax but we do perform a transmitter test on the Elecraft K3 radios to ensure they are transmitting full power.
Ron N2SKH and Ryan AF4O setting up the CW station. while Olev N4OHI looks on. [Photo by K2BHS]We started at 9:00 AM and were able to finish up by 11:30 AM. It is a few well-spent hours to make sure we have all the little cables and other accouterment that radios and computers need to operate (microphones, CW keys, foot switch, USB cables, etc).
Rob WD4IFT and Tom NY4I setting up the computers. [Photo by K2BHS]You still have time to register for Field Day to let us know you are coming. The deadline is TONIGHT at 11:59 PM to guarantee food. We need an accurate head count so if you have not signed-up already, please do so today. If you are unsure if you have already signed up, you can confirm by clicking here. If you have not signed-up, please go to this link to sign up now.
You are still welcome to attend but please plan on your own meals.
ARRL Field Day is a combined event to test our ability to setup radio communication under less than ideal conditions–think temporary antennas, generators and radio gear. Our event this year is a combined event with three clubs—the Clearwater Amateur Radio Society (CARS), St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club (SPARC) and the Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club (UPARC). The date is Saturday, June 28thstarting at 2:00 PM until Sunday, June 29th at 2:00 PM. Setup generally begins in earnest at 8:00 AM on Saturday morning. The location for all of this is the Clearwater Fire Department Fire Training Center at 1716 N. Belcher Road in Clearwater. Click here for a map.
The operation is comprised of 3 HF stations (all Elecraft K3 radios). We also have a 6 meter station and a satellite station. We use TR4W for logging and WSJT-X for FT8/FT4 operations. All operations are inside in the training center building (air conditioning since it is Florida in June). For modes, we run SSB (voice), FT8 and CW. For CW operators, a Bencher paddle is provided but if you have a favorite paddle or straight key, bring it along. The computer sends CW as well but you can go “old-school” if you like. No experience is necessary beyond a willingness to learn and try something new. If you have never operated a radio, we have plenty of people to help you out to show you how to make a contact to help you get started. In no time, you will be working stations all over the US and Canada. If you plan on operating, please bring your own headphones. For sanitary reasons, we do not share headphones or microphone headsets. We have adapters for your headphones as well as Heil and RadioSport cables. We also have desk mics for the radios for those that do not have microphone headsets.
We have the equipment all arranged as well as food and drink. Lunch is provided. Dinner Saturday will be provided (more details to follow) with sides provides by the attendees (dish to share). We do ask a few things related to food:
One, we need to know you are coming so please sign up by clicking here so we have an accurate count of the people attending so we do not run out of food.
We also ask that if you are coming for dinner on Saturday, bring a dish (side or dessert) to share with everyone (no, a bag of chips is not a side-dish).
If you do sign-up for meals but your plans change, please let us know so we have as accurate a count as possible.
The public is welcome as one of the purposes of Field Day is to introduce amateur radio to new people.
Field Day is the premiere event on our club calendars and we hope to see as many club members and guests as possible. Remember, Saturday June 28th–rain or shine–at 2:00 PM with setup starting at 8:00 AM.
