SWDCARC club members, collectively and individually, participate in a number of activities and events related to the amateur radio hobby.
Field Day 2020 is this Saturday, June 27! Hope you are planning on attending, and if you can’t there are ways to still be involved that have never been available before.
The ARRL this year is taking a creative approach to prior Field Days due to the COVID-19 virus and the social distancing guidelines that are in effect. SWDCARC has decided to go ahead and have Field Day at the Fire Training Center, 501 E. Wintergreen Rd. in DeSoto, on Saturday June 27 – Sunday June 28. We plan to follow guidelines for social distancing, and will be conducting temperature checks at the front door on all who enter. In regards to face masks, they will NOT be mandatory, but are encouraged. In fact, please bring a mask in case we learn that the facility owner does indeed require them.
The plan is to have breakfast at Acapulco’s Mexican Restaurant in DeSoto at 7:00am on Saturday, June 27, then go to the Fire Training Center to begin setup of antennas about 8:00am. Field Day operations legally begin at 1:00pm. All are invited to participate in any or all three of the events: breakfast, antenna setup, and making contacts. We will be operating as 3A with one each Single Side Band (voice), CW, and Digital transmitters. We need operators to keep these three stations operational from 1:00pm Saturday to at least 10:00am Sunday. We usually are too tired to operate beyond 10:00am, as we have about another hour to take down antennas and pack up radios and equipment and clean up the facility. It is recognized that there are Club members who, for various reasons, do not want to participate in Field Day at the Fire Training Center. The ARRL has amended the rules for Club participation to accommodate those that prefer to operate from their home instead of at the Club location. We want to encourage all members to participate in Field Day this year, whether it be with the Club at the Fire Training Center or at your home. However, those operating from home will use their own radios and call sign for all contacts. If you are using only one transmitter from your home, you will be Class D (Delta) and your section will be NTX (November Tango X-Ray). Your report to your contact would be “Your Call Sign, 1 Delta November Tango X-Ray.” Example, if KB6OJE were operating from home, his report to the station he contacted would be “Kilo Bravo 6 Oscar Juliet Echo 1 Delta November Tango X-Ray.” If you plan to operate W5WB, the club station at the Field Day location, you cannot go home and using my your call sign, make a QSO with W5WB, the Club station. You can make QSOs with any other Club Members operating from their homes. Each Club Member’s scores will be reported on a separate entry form. SOUTHWEST DALLAS COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB should be indicated on the entry forms and all entries with the above listed for the Club name will be consolidated by ARRL into the total score for the Club. The Club name, SOUTHWEST DALLAS COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, must be exactly like this – with all caps – for your entry scores to be consolidated with W5WB scores. After Field Day is over, entry forms must be submitted by Tuesday, July 28, 2020. ARRL recommends that entries be submitted to ARRL via Field Day Web App at https”//field-day.arrl.org/fdentry.php. If you need any help with preparing your entry form, please Jerry, KB6OJE.