Greetings! It’s June, and that means FIELD DAY! And it’s this upcoming weekend!

The Decatur Amateur Radio Club was started in 1953. Every year since then we have participated in Field Day. This year will be our 70th event!

Our location this year is Flint City Park in the south part of Decatur. The address is 124 Mill Road SW. If you’re coming from southwest Decatur, the easiest way to get there is to get on Spring Avenue in front of Walmart and go south. If you cross the railroad tracks, you’ve missed the park, which is on the right. If you’re coming from other directions, take Highway 31 South past all the car dealers until you see the Dollar General store on the right at the flashing light. Turn right on Mill Road and go across the railroad tracks. The park is just ahead on the left.

Or you could just use Google Maps like everyone else and let it do the navigating. Just please get there!

We need help, and we need company. Setup starts around 9:00, and the contest begins at 1:00, continuing for 24 hours. Teardown and packing starts at 1:00 on Sunday and is done as rapidly as we can do it.

We always need people to operate radios and to help with the logging of the contacts. We also need someone who is good at CW to copy the ARRL Field Day message on Saturday (details on their website), and we need folks to come by and just talk. Bring a guest and show them what ham radio is all about. Tell others you know who may be interested and get them to drop in. This event is as much about public outreach and education as it is about scores, so come help out in any way that you can!

And if you can help sit with the equipment (and use it, if possible) overnight, we can always use help in the dark morning hours.

If you have suggestions or want to volunteer for something, please let any of us know by email or phone.

Thanks! See you Saturday at Field Day!