ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations. SARA’s Field Day is a picnic, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!
It is a time where many aspects of amateur radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate amateur radio to the organizations that amateur radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For SARA, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of our annual calendar.
The SARA 2024 Field Day will be held June 22-23, 2024. with operations at the American Legion Post 423, 220 E. Sunset Drive, Rittman, OH 44270. If you’re a GPS aficionado it’s 40.980509, -81.774974. Operating will begin at 2:00pm EDT on Saturday the 2nd and will end around 9:00am EDT on Sunday the 23rd. Â
Volunteers and operators will be organized at the club meeting on June 20th by Field Day Chair Nick Traweek KD8SLG.
New hams and those unlicensed but interested in getting into amateur radio are strongly encouraged to drop by Field Day to learn about radio and get on the air. The SARA Field Day operation will have radios and control operators available to allow you to get on the air without a license or as a Technician to use the HF bands. See What Happens During Field Day for more information.
Schedule of Events
June 22
- 12:00 – Setup begins
- 14:00 – Operating begins – guest, techs, and infrequent operators have priority 1400 – 1700
- 18:00 – Dinner
June 23
- 9:00 – Operating ends, tear-down begins
- 12:00 – Tear-down and cleaning complete
SARA Field Day Operating
SARA operations for Field Day will be a “Class A” setup. A Class A operation means that all transmitting and receiving equipment will be operating on independent, non-commercial power. SARA is planning to operate as a 6A or 7A setup (the number being how many simultaneous transmissions). Guests, Technicians, and generally inactive hams are encouraged to come operate between 2:00pm and 5:00pm when we will have mentors and control operators ready to help – however we’ll make accommodations at any time for you!
Saturday Dinner and Sunday Breakfast
SARA will provide dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday for all Field Day Participants.