The Winter Field Day Association (WFDA) is a dedicated group of Amateur Radio Operators who believe that emergency communications in a winter environment is just as important as the preparations and practice that is done each summer but with some additional unique operational concerns.
The association believes, as do those entities of ARRL and organizations like ARES & RACES, that maintaining your operational skills should not be limited to fair weather scenarios. The addition of Winter Field Day will enhance those already important skills of those that who generously volunteer their time and equipment to these organizations. This is why WFD is open to all licensed amateur radio operators worldwide.
Disasters are unpredictable by nature and can strike when you least expect them. WFDA's goal is to help enhance your skills and ready you for all environmental conditions found in the US and Canada during the spring, summer, fall and winter.
Preparedness is the key to a professional and timely response during any event and this is what local and state authorities are expecting when they reach out to the emergency service groups that offer their services. If you are serious about emergency communications as the WFDA is; the association welcomes you to join them for this yearly event. The WFDA is sure you will find this event a pleasant change and challenge to that of a normal summer time field day.
Purpose of WFD: To foster Ham camaraderie, field operation, emergency operating preparedness, and just plain on the air, outdoor fun in the midst of winter for American, Canadian and DX Amateurs. Don’t let those winter doldrums keep you locked up in the house… get out and play some radio!!
Please check out: https://www.winterfieldday.com/rules for more information on the event.
For NORAC members, if you are around your shack for the January 26-27, 2019 weekend, please consider getting on the air to be a contact for the Winter Field Day operators. In addition to a signal report, perhaps also ask for a quick SITREP on the operators station if they are classified as "Outdoor". It would be neat to hear what kind of conditions people are working radio from. But remember that this is a bit of a contest, so please keep your overs to a minimum.
If you need a logger than can export directly to the WFD required Cabrillo format, check out: N3FJP's logging software. Aaren VA7AEJ recommends purchasing the $49.99 "N3FJP Software Package without CD" and you'll be covered for all future contests in addition to getting a great Windows-based logging software.
For 2020, perhaps NORAC members would like to haul out Cranky and participate as a club. We could create a village of RVs (classified in the "Indoor" category) running on generator power and score a bunch of bonus points for not being at home and not running on mains power.
Putting it out there,
Mike VE7KPZ
NORAC Vice-president 2017-2019