QST, QST, QST: 

Join us for a day of antenna testing the Gene Burton College and Career Academy in preparation for the ARRL Field Day in June. We will meet:

• • • Saturday February 28 from 9am to 3pm. (subject to weather)

    • GBCCA, 2301 S John King Blvd, Rockwall, TX 75032

    • We'll be outdoors so dress appropriately

Should the weather not cooperate and we have wind, precipitation, etc. We will postpone and reschedule. Any changes we'll post by email to club members and to this website.  

ARRL Field Day for 2026 will be Saturday and Sunday June 27 and 28. To provide more opportunities for every amateur and guest a rewarding experience by participating in the Rockwall Amateur Radio club’s ARRL Field Day event. All skill levels and talents are encouraged to participate in the activities ranging from planning, implementation, operating, and logging.  

During 2025 Field Day:

What we did well

• Antennas were deployed for all bands 80m – 70cm (except 1.25m)

• QSOs were made on all bands (except 160m, 80m & 1.25m)

How we scored

• We placed 3rd in Class 5A Commercial (commercial meaning we were powered from the grid)

  • 478 QSOs

  • 100 watts or under

  • 21 participants

  • 2466 points

• To break it down further

Band CW Digital Phone Total

40 152 0 28 180

20 202 8 14 224

15 66 0 4 70

10 1 0 0 1

6 0 1 0 1

2 0 0 1 1

70cm 0 0 1 1

Note: Solar flare activity just prior to Field Day had rendered 10 meters useless.

What we can do better

• Only one person at a time could operate on a given band

• While a new QSO logging system was tested manual editing was still needed to prepare the club's ARRL submission

• More coordination with local members not at the field day site for simplex VHF and UHF QSOs

What was beyond our control

• Band conditions on 15m and 10m were poor

Field Day 2026 Strategies

Goals  

• Create an event that finds a balance between competitive contest and social event, something we can build on for future events.

• Create an environment where all participants can contribute to the event success

• Equitable distribute the workload over multiple volunteer work teams

• Ensure that everyone that want to operate has the opportunity

• Mentor KR5ISD operators allowing them to operate under extra class privileges

• Allow two operators to simultaneously operate on the same band

Site

• RISD Gene Burton College and Career Academy campus

  • Pros

    • Air-conditioned comfortable facilities

    • Accessible to hams and the public

    • Joint participation with the GBCCA Radio Club, KR5ISD

    • Provides good public exposure for both the RARC and the GBCCA Radio Club

    • Fits well with the ecomm aspect of Field Day 

    • Larger antenna deployment area to facilitate more simultaneous operators 

  • Cons

    • More complex antenna setup with longer feed line runs.

Operations

• Focus on daylight operations. 

While operating Saturday night is available the most operating takes place during the day Saturday and Sunday.

• Maximize operator access to 40, 20 and 15

Installation

• Improve coax routing to minimize trip hazards and doors left ajar.

Current Phase

• Simultaneous operation requires careful planning and antenna deployment. Proof of concept deployment to verify:

  • Antenna deployment locations

  • Maximum transmit power

  • Minimum frequency separation

  • How we move forward

• Proof of Concept testing scheduled for Saturday February 28 from 9am to 3pm at the GBCCA campus, 2301 S John King Blvd, Rockwall, TX 75032 

• Work Teams – subject to change

  • Masts / Antennas – deployment of the 40’ mast and associated antennas

  • Cables – feedline and other required cabling

  • Tech Support– workstation deployment, networking, logging software, log assimilation and submission

  • Safety / RISD Liaison – provide guidance and compliance with RISD safety requirements in addition to overseeing station, antenna and cabling best practices

  • Media – local press announcements, VIP’s (local politicians, RISD board members), student video production, banner display, etc.

Additional resources

• KA2C - Ulta-Sharp Rx Filters
  This document contains several links

• 20m Helical Resonator

• QST June 2025 - Maximize your ARRL Field Day Performance

• Multi-Station YouTube Video

• Everything you always wanted to know About Antennas (but were afraid to ask) || Frank Rutter K3AW

RARC Field Day Survey

We took a survey during the August 19 in person meeting to find what attendee said they would like to see for Field Day 2026. Here are how the 14 attendees responded:

RARC Field Day 2026 Survey

For more information

• Contact Al Peterson AG5PC