Field Day 2026 – Operators Sign Up!

By /

Field Day is almost here, and this year we are taking a more strategic approach to our operation. We’ll be operating as a 6A station with GOTA and VHF, with the goal of keeping stations active around the clock and significantly improving our score.

We Have Room to Grow

Last year, SARA operated as a 7A station and finished with a score of 3,284 points.

For comparison:

  • The highest scoring 7A station last year achieved 15,707 points
  • The highest scoring 6A station achieved 17,865 points
  • Our friends at the Warren Amateur Radio Association W8VTD operated 6A last year and posted an impressive 7,100-point score

These results show that there is plenty of opportunity for us to improve, and this year’s operating plan is designed to do exactly that.

Our Strategy: Maximize Contacts on the Best Bands

Rather than spreading our effort across many bands, some of which have a high likelihood of being dead, we are focusing heavily on the bands that traditionally produce the highest contact rates throughout most of Field Day:

  • 40 Meters
  • 20 Meters

Our goal is to have two stations active on each of these bands whenever possible:

  • One Voice station
  • One CW/Digital station

This allows us to maximize contact rates while taking advantage of the different operating modes available on each band.

The more consistently we can keep these stations occupied, the more contacts and points we can generate.

CW and Digital Operators Are Especially Needed

If you operate CW or digital modes, we need your help.

Field Day scoring awards:

  • 1 point for Phone contacts
  • 2 points for CW contacts
  • 2 points for Digital contacts

Every CW or Digital QSO is worth twice as much as a Phone contact, making these operators some of the most valuable contributors to our final score.

Even if you can only commit to a few hours, your participation can have a significant impact.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, June 27

  • 11:00 – Setup begins
  • 14:00
    • Operating begins – guest, techs, and infrequent operators have priority 1400 – 1700
    • Formal education activity – “How to Call CQ” for operators
  • 18:00 – Dinner

Sunday, June 28

  • 11:00 – Operating ends, tear-down begins
  • 13:00 – Tear-down and cleaning complete

Operator Sign Ups

To make this plan successful, we need operators to fill as many shifts as possible.

Please review the operating schedule and sign up for your preferred times:

https://scheduler.w8wky.org/

Prime operating times will fill quickly, so don’t wait. Remember that guest, techs, and infrequent operators have priority 1400 – 1700 on Saturday.

The sign up doesn’t have a way to cancel your sign up. If you need to cancel or adjust, please reach out to Josh W8HRF at ke8vka@gmail.com to delete any entries which need adjusted.

GOTA Station

An important part of Field Day is getting unlicensed or new ham operators who have had their license for less than 1 year on the air to experience Amateur Radio. As such, these contacts are scored higher than normal operator QSOs.

For example, a regular SSB QSO is worth 1 point. We’ll have a 2x power multiplier because we’re running 100 watts. This means that each regular SSB QSO is worth 2 points after the multiplier.

Regular non-GOTA Points Breakdown
ModeRegular QSO PointsAfter MultiplierGOTA BonusTotal
SSB1202
CW/Digital2404

For GOTA stations, each SSB QSO is also worth 2 points because of the power multiplier. But it also comes with 5 bonus points. This means that each GOTA SSB QSO is worth 7 points after the multiplier and bonus points.

GOTA Points Breakdown
ModeRegular QSO PointsAfter MultiplierGOTA BonusTotal
SSB1257
CW/Digital2459

This highlights the importance of the GOTA station in Field Day operations.

The GOTA station is not limited to one physical station. This means that the GOTA station can change to whichever radio currently has a unlicensed or newly licensed ham at it. Because of this, you won’t see a specific “GOTA” station when signing up for time slots.

GOTA Coaches

We’re also looking for GOTA coaches; people who are willing to act as the control operator and assist unlicensed and new ham radio operators at the GOTA station. GOTA coaches cannot log or operate for GOTA station operators, but they are an important part of being an ambassador for ham radio, guiding, and act as the control operator for GOTA station ops.

If you’re interested in assisting in this capacity, please reach out to Josh W8HRF ke8vka@gmail.com.

Final Field Day Briefing – Thursday, June 18 – 7pm Club Meeting

We will conduct one final overview of the Field Day operating plan during the June 18 club meeting.

We’ll review:

  • Station assignments
  • Operating strategy
  • Setup and logistics
  • GOTA operations
  • Bonus point opportunities
  • Questions from operators and volunteers
  • And more!

If you plan to participate in any capacity, please make every effort to attend.

Let’s Make 2026 a Record Year

The difference between an average Field Day and an exceptional one comes down to participation. Every occupied station, every contact, every overnight operator, and every volunteer contributes directly to our success.

Sign up, get involved, and help us show what SARA can accomplish when we work together.

We’ll see you on the air!

Scroll to Top