Welcome to the Frederick Amateur Radio Club!

Please join us for Winter Field Day (WFD) 2026 on January 25th and/or 25th at the K3MMM family farm outside of Emmitsburg.  This is the same venue as last year, but with lessons learned.  While we’ll have some ready to go stations, feel free to bring your own gear including radios and antennas.   The goal of WFD is Emergency Communications (EMCOMM) practice/training.

Couple of things:

• Feel free to bring your own gear to try – we have plenty of space.  Or you can visit and use one of our radios.
• We expect to operate using only batteries and solar power.  Granted, we may have a generator on hand, just in case.  We’ll have some spare batteries available with Anderson PowerPole connections, and can adapt to virtually any radio.
• You do NOT need any particular level of amateur license (or to be licensed at all), as we can act as control operators while you operate.  This is a very friendly opportunity to give HF radio a try, with your only investment being a road-trip to Emmitsburg!
• Winter Field Day runs from 11am Saturday January 24th until 4:59pm Sunday January 25th. We’ll be on site from early-morning Saturday until Sunday afternoon, although there’s a good chance that we’ll pause in the wee hours, as we’re not as young as we once were.
• Official farm address is 17247 Annandale Rd, Emmitsburg. I’ll put the FARC banner at the end of the driveway – but your GPS will get you to the right spot. Our operating spot is: ///soak.disappeared.safety
• Because it’s winter, and the weather is not certain, we’ll either set up in the back field equipment shed, which boasts nearby tall trees and wide open spaces, warmed by a wood stove. Or in the top of the barn, which while unheated, features a roof and walls. If weather is really uncooperative, we can always end up in the farmhouse living room.
• We expect to operate on most amateur bands, using phone, CW & permissible digital modes.
• If you can’t join us, please try and work us!
• Be SURE to check back periodically for updates as the date draws closer.  It’s winter and the weather plays a significant role in some decisions. Please check back here periodically for updates.
• Find official Winter Field Day documentation here:  https://winterfieldday.org/

We hope to see you there!

Farm site plan for parking and operating locations:

UPDATES:

• We are extremely pet-friendly. Bring your horse, hound, heron, or hare, or anything in between. So long as it coexists with others, it’s fine and welcome.
• Since we’re not super-competitive, I’m thinking that we’ll operate as 4Oscar – up to four simultaneous radios, operating outdoors.  So, our exchange will be K3ERM 4 Oscar Mike Delta Charlie (MDC ARRL section).
• I’m hoping to have a semi-dedicated peer-to-peer Winlink station configured. During the first several hours, it’ll be on 145.09 for local-ish contacts.  After dark, we’ll move it to HF.
• If you have even a hint of mic fright, this type of event is the PERFECT solution, as the exchange is basic and predictable.
• If you have a headset, consider bringing it along, as it can be much easier to hear with background noise.
• There are several new “multiplier” objectives, many of which we should be able to accomplish.
• We expect to use “alternative power”, which means batteries and solar.  While all radios, digital data mode computers, and heat needs to be from alternative power, lighting and logging computers are exempt, and can be from commercial power.
• We’ll use 146.58 for talk-in.  It may seem that you’re way off course as you go back the driveway – but just turn left as you pass the barn, and follow the obvious tracks.

Hi all,

The Frederick Amateur Radio Club holiday party will be held on Monday December 15th at 6pm (six, not seven pm) at the Independent Hose Company social hall (where club meetings are held – 310 Baughmans Lane Frederick).  PLEASE plan to join us for the festivities, and bring your significant-other, friends and neighbors. This will be a pot-luck event, so please plan to bring something to share.

In order to minimize overlap, I’ve made two things:

1. Sign up sheet, where you can let us know what you’ll be bringing. This is mostly to be sure that we have the basics covered (plates, utensils, etc), but is NOT required! The sign-up sheet is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwaJOzmUepwpF5D8WyNwtuAnPFNbCDqN0tccmlPxY-CT0-iQ/viewform?usp=dialog
2. Sign up result sheet – so you can know what others have already signed up to bring. The result sheet is here: www.frederickarc.org/holiday2025.html – you may need to refresh your browser to see the very latest entries.

If you’re not sure if you can join us, or forgot to sign up, please just show up! Seriously! I’ve NEVER been to a pot-luck that ran out of food.  As always, let me know if there are questions.  If question might be good for all to read, please respond to this thread.  If it’s a one-off question, you can also send me a note at my callsign @arrl.net

Finally, if you’d like to participate in the back-end planning, please send me a note to my call sign @arrl.net.  I’m trying to widen the talent pool for these types of things. 

Cheers & 73!
Mike K3MMM

Planning is well underway for FredFest ’26 with a few big changes!

Primary is a new location with LOTS of parking.  We’re moving the the Amvets Post #2, known as The Farm, located at 9602 Baltimore Rd.
Frederick MD 21704.  Stay tuned to this page for details.

You can get our flyer here:  Fredfest 2026.4 – please share with your friends and neighbors!

Amateur radio logging happens by any number of means. Some like paper, others have a preferred piece of software running on a preferred device. Do you log all contacts, only HF, only POTA? During our November meeting, we will discuss many of the options, and invite you to chime in with your preferred method. Feel free to bring your logging device for others to see.

So, please join the discussion on Monday, November 17^th at 7pm. We meet in the social hall of the Independent Hose (fire) Company, located at 310 Baughmans Lane in Frederick. Parking and social hall entrance are in the rear of the building. We begin setting up around 6pm, so feel free to arrive early to socialize. ALL members of the local (and distant) community are welcome to attend – there is absolutely no need to be a member or licensed or anything.

As always, meetings are simply better in person, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. Next best option is via Zoom, the link is here: FARC Zoom 2025 So that we can tell bot from human, please include your name and/or call sign in profile. Also please keep yourself muted unless actively participating.

Please let me know if there are questions – we hope to see you on Monday!

73!
Mike K3MMM