Field Day Rules are published by the American Radio Relay League

For some it's the competition, for others it's the camaraderie (and maybe the food), for still others it's a chance to test their skills (and that new antenna, radio, or camping gear) "in the field" under simulated emergency conditions. For most hams, Field Day is all of these and more, an annual ham radio happening that's become greater than the sum of its parts.Field Day did not start out as the vaunted test of emergency preparedness it is considered today (nor was it on the fourth weekend in June). The first "International Field Day" on June 10 and 11, 1933, was "just a test of portable equipment" for US and Canadian amateurs, says former ARRL Communications Manager George Hart, W1NJM, who's operated in 50 Field Day events over the years. Hart says then-Communications Manager Ed Handy, W1BDI, came up with the idea (Sweepstakes was also his brainstorm). "He had a real active mind," Hart said.Under the early Field Day rules, only portable stations "actually in the field, away from the 'home' address" were eligible to submit Field Day scores. At that time, ARRL sections counted as multipliers in scoring, and portable-to-portable contacts counted double. (According to the old Federal Radio Commission rules, you had to notify the FRC that you were going to be operating away from your normal location, too.) Operating Field Day in the early years was further complicated by the fact that it was a lot harder to come up with a way to supply the necessary plate and filament voltages in the field than it is with today's mostly 12-V equipment.It was not until the second annual Field Day, in 1934, that Handy's Field Day writeup in QST raised the aspect of emergency preparedness. "Keep an operative portable at hand all the year, so it will be where you can put it to work promptly in the event of disaster or public emergency," Handy wrote more than six decades ago. Even with all of the ultra-portable equipment available today, his admonition stands, especially as we recall the service hams have provided in recent months in the aftermath of floods, tornadoes and other disasters. But in addition to being a preparation for public service, Field Day also is fun.As ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, said in "It Seems to Us. . ." in the May 1997 issue of QST, hams don't get involved in public service because of ARRL or ITU resolutions that say it's the right thing to do. "We do it because we enjoy it. We enjoy doing something useful with our skills and our equipment. We enjoy the camaraderie, the feeling of being a part of a winning team," Sumner wrote. That seems to sum up the spirit of Field Day pretty well, too.*

Get involved and join the fun. Talk to Field Day Chair Peter Fogg ( KA6RJF) if you'd like to help with equipment preparation (some gets done in advance) or taking a turn on the radio.

For further information, call Peter at (626) 794-6784

Adapted from The ARRL Letter Vol. 16, No. 26 June 27, 1997.