W4CAR Field Day 2026
The Chesapeake Amateur Radio Service (W4CAR) is proud to announce our participation in the upcoming 2026 ARRL Field Day!
We invite all local amateur radio enthusiasts, licensed operators, and those interested in the hobby to join us as we demonstrate our capabilities, test our equipment, and strengthen our community bonds.
Dates: June 27–28, 2026
Theme: Amateur Radio: A National Resource
Join W4CAR for a weekend of operation, technical collaboration, and camaraderie. Whether you are looking to get on the air, learn more about emergency communications, or simply meet fellow local operators, we look forward to seeing you there.
What is Field Day?
ARRL Field Day is the largest amateur radio event in the United States. Each year, tens of thousands of operators set up stations in fields and remote locations, mimicking an emergency situation where no mains power is available, and stations (including their antennas) are temporary setups. Field Day is a 24-hour marathon where clubs gather and operators take turns operating these stations, racking up as many contacts as possible. Finally, it’s a wonderful learning event, with plenty of opportunities to try new modes or bands, and to get acquainted with many aspects of amateur radio, whether you’re an old hand or don’t yet have a license.
Who
All are welcome! Amateur radio operators, as well as those without their radio licenses, are welcome to join in any of our activities. Get on the air on our voice, digital, or CW stations; set up antennas; attend talks and participate in activities; or just join us for a meal and to talk radio.
What
We will be running several transceivers, so you can experience SSB (single sideband voice), CW (Morse code), or digital modes on HF. We’ll also have SSB and FM available on VHF. Our Get On the Air (GOTA) station is ready to help those without licenses get on the air and experience the HF bands.
We will have a number of activities and educational talks you can attend. Join us to learn about building antennas, fox-hunting, Morse code, emergency communications, and more.
| Day | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 26 | 16:00 - 20:00 | Site Setup (Masts, Antennas, Power) |
| Saturday, June 27 | 07:30 | Setup and Final Configuration |
| 12:00 | Lunch (TBD) | |
| 16:00 | Exam Testing (ARRL) | |
| 17:30 | Dinner (TBD) | |
| Sunday, June 28 | 09:00 (ISH) | Breakfast (TBD) |
| 11:00 | Teardown Begins |
Hickory Ruritan Club
2752 S Battlefield Blvd, Chesapeake, VA 23322
Stations
We will be running a class 5A Field Day setup: two transceivers running concurrently, in addition to the GOTA and VHF stations, deployed as a portable setup on battery, solar, or generator power (with no mains electricity for most gear).
Antennas
Half-Wave Dipole: Half-Wave dipole mounted on 40ft masts, for all bands between 80m and 10m. These are our primary antenna.
Hexbeam: A directional antenna for 10m, 15m, 20m, and 40m primarily attached to the HF Phone station. A good antenna to use during the day.
VHF: Moxon antennas for 6m. J-Pole for Winlink.
Radios (to include)
I-Com 7610
I-Com 7300 MKII
I-Com 7300
Kenwood TS590
Yaesu FT-DX10
Yaesu FT-991A
Radiodity DB-25A
