2022 ARRL Field Day June 25-26, 2022
The Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club actively participates in the annual American Radio Relay League Field Day. This event occurs the fourth full weekend in June every year, rain or shine. We get out of the ham shack at home and the clubhouse, set up portable stations running on emergency power sources at a remote location, and use those stations to make contact with other stations.
This year, we’ll be operating 3A and have purchased new laptops and a new antenna to ensure everyone’s operating experience is better than ever.
Not just another contest
Some think of Field Day as just another Amateur Radio contest. However, its theme centers on one of the most important functions of Amateur Radio – the ability to communicate independently of any municipal or commercial infrastructure (commercial power, telephone networks, etc.), which would likely be inoperative or severely overloaded in the event of a major disaster. ARRL’s Field Day Information pamphlet states:
Object: To work as many stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 Meter HF bands, as well as all bands 50 MHz and above, and in doing so to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. A premium is placed on developing skills to meet the challenges of emergency preparedness as well as to acquaint the general public with the capabilities of Amateur Radio.
Come on out!
We invite guests, including licensed and prospective Amateur Radio operators and anyone just interested in seeing what it’s all about, to come out and enjoy the experience with us. We’d love to have you! Come share the spirit of Amateur Radio, experience the joy of making contact with other stations over the air, and enjoy the fellowship.
Plans for Field Day 2022
SVARC will participate in Field Day from the Clarke County Fairgrounds located at 890 West Main Street, Berryville, Virginia 22611. This address is on Route 7 Business, north side. Do not confuse the community center (on the south side of Route 7 Business) for the fairground; if you see a pool and tennis courts, you’re on the wrong side of the road!
We will complete most, if not all, antenna work starting around 7 am on Friday, June 24. General set-up of the stations starts around 9 AM EDT on Saturday, June 25. As always, we will set up under the pavilion at the front of the fairgrounds. On-air operations begin at 2 PM EDT, and continue through 1:59 PM EDT June 26. Following the end of operations, we will tear down and clean up. We will leave the site as clean as, or cleaner than, we found it.
IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ:
This year, we will be sharing the Fairgrounds with another event, an ATV drag competition taking place on the tractor pull field. This event will occur on Saturday beginning at 3 pm (rain date is Sunday), and will involve paid entrance beginning around 1:30 pm at Gate A on the east end of the Fairground, located to the right of the Tae Kwan Do studio on Route 7 Business. Gate C at the west end (the two-lane entrance by the barns) will be locked. This leaves Gate B, to the left of the Tae Kwan Do studio, for exclusive Field Day entry and exit throughout the ATV event. This arrangement was made by our Fairgrounds point of contact and the ATV event coordinator.
Update: Our Fairgrounds POC has advised us that the food concession will NOT be opening as previously expected. Rather, there will one or two food vendor trucks onsite, still available to Field Day participants.
The goal of the ATV event is to raise awareness and revenue for suicide prevention. Additional information will be added to this page as it is obtained.
Be prepared
If you plan to join us, please prepare for inclement weather. The pavilion provides shelter for the operating positions and the Ruritan club members maintain the fairgrounds very well, but it’s an outdoor venue. We highly recommend sunscreen, rain gear, and bug spray to maximize your comfort during your visit. Planning to stay overnight? Have warm clothes available in case it gets chilly. Also, if you are coming to help with set-up, we recommend that you bring work gloves, eye protection, and work clothes.
Traveling?
If you aren’t going to be in the area for Field Day, perhaps there’s another club or organization event near where you will be. The ARRL has a Field Day Locator tool with which you can search for a nearby event based on your location.
Looking ahead
Each Field Day brings new challenges and lessons learned for improved performance. We’ve made improvements in equipment for a better operating environment, and continue to make other improvements. We also have new club members, some of whom have never experienced Field Day. So, to all of those new (and veteran) members and guests, you’re in for a pleasant surprise! Get ready for a great weekend of fun as we head into Field Day 2022!
CLICK HERE for a report and photos from our 2020 Field Day.
Here’s a slideshow from a past SVARC Field Day: