Greetings! Field Day is always in June, but there’s another option, and it’s this coming weekend!

Winter Field Day is a lot like the regular Field Day, only colder (and maybe wetter!). But the Decatur Amateur Radio Club is planning to participate anyway, just like we did last year.

Our location will be the same as last summer’s event: Morgan County North Park in the Priceville area. The street address is 58 North Park Drive, Decatur, AL. That may take you to the entrance on the east side of the park. Don’t go there. We will be on the WEST side of the park off of Bethel Road towards Priceville High School.

The easiest way to get there from Decatur is to take Highway 67 until you reach the blinking yellow lights at Upper River Road. Turn left and drive east, cross the bridge over I-65, and continue to the traffic light, which is Bethel Road. Turn left at the light and drive until you see the park pavilions on your right across from the fire station. That’s where you’ll find us! If you miss the turn at Upper River Road there are several other options, but the simplest is to continue on Highway 67 past I-65 until you reach the traffic signal at Bethel Road. Look for the Traditions Bank building on the corner and the Food Land grocery store in a small shopping center (it includes coffee!). Turn north on Bethel Road at the light between the bank and the shopping plaza and go to the 2nd traffic light, which is East Upper River Road. Continue through the light and keep an eye out on your right. You should see a lot of radio activity of some variety throughout the day and night on Saturday until early Sunday afternoon. Remember also, Google Maps can be your best friend. And you can use the 147.00 repeater to ask us for directions. Just please get there!

Setup starts between 9:00 and 10:00, and the contest begins around 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. There will be someone there for the duration if all goes according to plan.

Come visit us, help out with anything you can, talk on the radio or run a logging computer, or just hang out and watch everyone else try to find warmth and radio fun.

See you Saturday at Winter Field Day!