The Spartanburg Amateur Radio Club is planning to participate in the annual Winter Field Day this weekend. The first Winter Field Day was held in 2007 by The Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio (SPAR). Since that time, the event has become increasingly popular with individual hams and clubs all over the world.
The core belief that drives Winter Field Day is that ham radio operators should practice portable emergency communications in winter environments as the potential for freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and other hazards present unique operational concerns. Similar in many ways to the ARRL Field Day, this event is based on several core principles:
- Natural disasters are unpredictable and can strike when you least expect them.
- Your training and operating skills should not be limited to fair-weather scenarios.
- Preparedness is the key to a professional and timely response during any event.
When? The last full weekend of January, (January 24-25, 2026) beginning at 16:00 UTC (11am local) on Saturday and running through 21:59 (4:59pm local) on Sunday.
Bands/ Modes? Winter Field Day allows operation on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter HF bands and all bands above 50 MHz. Winter Field Day does not assign points for FT8 digital mode, as the focus of the event is passing information in a simulated winter weather emergency. SPARC will be focusing on voice (primarily sideband) and CW.
Where? The club will be operating from our clubhouse, using our club callsign (K4II.) The clubhouse is located at 400 Glenwood Drive, Spartanburg SC 29306 (GOOGLE MAPS LINK)
Who? Winter Field Day at the clubhouse is open to club members, local licensed hams, and any member of the public who is interested in amateur radio.
After Hours Procedures? During the hours of darkness, licensed hams are encouraged to call for K4II on our 2M repeater (147.315 MHz + 123 Hz) before arriving so we can make sure someone will be ready to greet you and unlock the door.
For more information, check out their website here: https://winterfieldday.org/