Winter Field Day 2024! Here’s What Went Down!

The White River Radio and Communications Group celebrated their second annual Winter Field Day and Parks on the Air (POTA) event from January 27th to 28th, 2024. The day kicked off with a hearty breakfast at the Triangle Restaurant, perched atop Ramsey Mountain in Batesville, AR before the setup team made their way to the Jamestown Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Park K-7298, to get everything ready. Despite the challenges of rain and mud, George-AG5CC, Wayne-KB9ELS, Nathan-KI5EDP, and Ruger worked tirelessly to ignite a fire, erect the radio operations tent, and prepare for the event, all before the 1 p.m. start time.

As the fire blazed, Sheri-AB5SC and Genice-KI5GRX arrived with much-anticipated pots of chili, warming the hearts and bellies of all present. The event saw a steady stream of guests, including Sue-AI5LZ and John-KF5JSW with their generous offering of donuts and pastries. Local newcomer Rus-KK7FJC and Ole friend Noel-K5NES lent a hand by the fire, and my best friend Carl discovered the joy of radio communication that I often rave about.

Winter Field Day was operating under the call sign AG5CC with two stations: one featuring a Yaesu FT-991A and the other a Yaesu FT-857D. Powered by batteries and generators, we stayed warm and cozy inside the operations tent. The event was well-attended until late evening, after which only a few, including AG5CC, KI5EDP, KB9ELS, and Ruger, remained for the overnight stay. Late-night visitor Brandon-KD5BAM joined us for a while, adding to the camaraderie.

Operations continued until about 2 a.m., followed by a restful night’s sleep. The next morning began with a scrumptious breakfast prepared by KI5EDP, featuring sausage, bacon, eggs, biscuits, and gravy. The day’s operations saw KI5EDP making a satellite contact, KB9ELS ensuring contacts on at least six bands, and AG5CC securing a Winlink contact, achieving all our WFD objectives for the day. By 11 a.m., despite the muddy conditions, we commenced packing up, successfully concluding our setup.

The following week, I submitted the Winter Field Day log along with individual operator logs for our Parks on the Air activations.

Reflecting on the event, it’s clear that the second annual Winter Field Day for the White River Radio and Communications Group was a resounding success. We welcomed many newcomers interested in radio communications and eagerly shared details of our next event on April 20, 2024, along the White River in Batesville, Arkansas. MTC

Play Radio and have a good time!