WCARES Field Day 2026 is here

From the Field Day Team: 

Field Day is upon us and throughout the weekend you are invited to participate, observe and learn more about ham radio, and particularly field operations. This is also a friendly reminder that Field Day participation counts toward the requirements for WCARES membership. Visitors are encouraged and welcome to attend!

Field Day Venue
BrightStone, 3000 BrightStone Parkway, Franklin 

Activities will be beneath the (afternoon shaded) covered back porch spanning the rear of the building. Light snacks and water provided; should you be operating during meal hours we encourage you to bring your own food and drink. 

Field Day Friday Setup (June 26)
Beginning at 4.pm., our team will gather on site to deploy antennas, set up stations and get equipment tested and organized. This is a great opportunity to observe and learn new skills about various types of antennas. Volunteers are welcome to assist. There is no need to sign up, just come to the site. This will be an outdoor activity so stay hydrated and dress accordingly. 

Field Day Saturday (June 27)
Beginning at 1 p.m. the Field Day stations will operate on radios dedicated to SSB, CW, Digital and Satellite. Operations will cease at 11 p.m. That’s not all … also on Saturday: 

Get On The Air (GOTA) Station
Newly licensed hams, anyone wishing to become one (or are curious about the hobby), technician class hams thinking of upgrading or longtime hams out of practice can all take their turn at the GOTA station. Work at your own pace and have fun while being mentored by experienced hams. Youths are especially encouraged and welcome to participate. 

Kit Building Session
Our resident kit building guru, Randy Paulson, will host a session on how to make various DIY radio and related components. Participants already signed up will bring their unassembled kits to the session. If you have such a kit, bring it and join the fun. If not, this is another opportunity to learn more about a fun activity of the hobby. 

Field Day Sunday (June 28)
Radio operations will begin at 5 a.m. and conclude at 1 p.m. 

More information: 
WCARES VHF Talk-In frequency: 146.505 (simplex). Contact us on that frequency if you are near BrightStone. Or contact us on the WCARES repeater system. Hub frequency is 145.210 (PL 173.8/ – Shift). 

We will have 4 operating stations: SSB1, SSB2, CW and GOTA as well as the Kit Building session. Reach out to a station captain should you have last minute availability to fill one of the open time slots. 

Still got questions? Email the team:

(You can find their e-mail addresses in the Thursday, June 25th WCARES Notes e-mail)

Kit building: Randy Paulson (N4OPI).
SSB station captain: Jeff Standifer (WB5WAJ).
CW station captain: Cliff Batson (N4CCB).
GOTA station captain: Doug Miller (W4DML).
Field Day coordinators: 
Craig Lamb (N4BAX).
Trey Spain (KI4ZIN).