How do you prepare for Winter Field Day

1/17/2022 0 Comments

How do you prepare for Winter Field Day

During the last weekend of every January is Winter Field Day. Amateur radio operators around the United States as well as other countries pack up cars, campers and back packs with what they need to be totally self sufficient for 24 hours while trying to make radio contact with others who are participating in this "cool" event.

Three different categories of participants qualify to be part of Winter Field Day.

Indoor: Operation from inside a remote, insulated, heated (or cooled, depending on your local weather), and weather-protected structure where an Amateur station is normally not available. (Park buildings/cabins, community center, senior center, cottage, etc). An EOC or Club shack may be utilized, providing all equipment used is set up by the contestants.

Outdoor: Operation from a location partly or fully exposed to the elements and at least 30 feet away from your normal station location and not using any part of a previously erected antenna system or ham station. A campground, park pavilion, canopy, picnic table, tent, pop-up camper, or a backyard shed/tent/deck, etc. may be used. Operation from a non-insulated car/truck/van/boat (mobile or not) is considered “outdoor”.

Home: Operation from inside a home or inside another structure attached to a home that could or would be the usual location of an Amateur station (garage, sunroom, etc), generally using a previously erected antenna system. A “Home” entrant may still be eligible to claim the “alternate power” bonus if not using commercial power.

There are some pretty detailed rules for how to make radio contacts which helps level the playing field for those who are participating either as casual or more serious participants. This event however is not just about radio stuff. This is a great way to prepare for how to be self-sufficient and goal oriented during a cold weather emergency simulation.

Talking about all the NOT radio related things to succeed during WFD 2022

Focusing on just participating as the Outdoor Class of operator in this event requires more planning compared to the Indoor or Home Classifications.

How will you feed your radio equipment is important. Providing suitable power for your radio in the cold weather is as important as how you feed yourself. A human in cold weather requires more calories even at rest and the same is true for most electronics.

Lithium based batteries are not as tolerant to the cold and should be kept warm however possible. Prolonged cold temperatures will freeze the electrolytic chemical reactions which decreases power density and the ability to deliver the needed voltage and current for your radio equipment.

In some cases, running a gas powered generator may not be practical in outdoor operations for a long period of time, so understanding how your batteries will function in the cold weather is important to learn about in advance if possible.

Plan to keep your own core temperature where it should be too by staying hydrated and consuming the right food and liquids during the duration of the event.

Many modern radios which use LCD and TFT based displays plus different types of components such as controls and relays may also function differently in cold weather for extended periods of time.

THIS ARTICLE IS NOT COMPLETE. THIS IS JUST A TEST. THIS IS JUST A TEST.

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How do you prepare for Winter Field Day

Talking about all the NOT radio related things to succeed during WFD 2022

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