µField Day (say “Micro Field Day”) is a monthly gathering in various locations for all hams and clubs in the county to gather and set up portable stations. Each month, working around all the club schedules, we pick a Saturday or Sunday and meet from 11:00 am to about 3:00 pm. People often bring picnic lunches. Some set up portable HF stations, some bring their SOTA equipment, some just bring themselves, or even friends they wish to introduce to amateur radio. There are typically 10-15 stations set up, with 25-50 people attending. We’ve had many hams make their first HF contacts at µFD!
Like all of our nets and events, this is a “club-agnostic” affair, but sometimes we partner with local clubs to sponsor the day with us. We’ve had events on campus at Cal State Channel Islands with their club, at the Dudley House with VCARC, and on the shores of Lake Sherwood with CVARC. More events like this are already in planning.
“Portable” means a lot of things to a lot of people…for µFD, it includes everything from HTs to lightweight backpack gear for SOTA to car portable like people often use for POTA (several of our sites have been eligible for POTA activation) to moveable equipment that takes some time and effort to set up, like you’d find at ARRL Field Day. We also enjoy RMOOTA…Random Metal Objects On The Air. We’ve got it all covered.
Nothing is required to take part-just come on by. If you want to operate but don’t have equipment, there are always people who would love to put someone on the air with their radio. You’ll find all sorts of ideas and suggestions about how to set up for portable operations. But most importantly, it’s a chance to make sure we remain familiar with our portable equipment. And yes…just hanging around with other hams.