Field Day 2026 – What you need to know!

Coos County Radio Club Field Day 2026

Saturday June 27th and Sunday June 28th

Bandon City Park – 1217 11th St. SW

Bandon Oregon, Coos County

Come be a part of the most popular on-the-air operating event in amateur radio. Join the Coos County Radio Club and your community and get in on the action!

What is ARRL Field Day?

You’re Invited! ARRL Field Day is a radio communications event that brings together amateur radio operators (also called “hams”) within your community. The theme for 2026 Field Day is Amateur Radio: A National Resource – highlighting the many ways that wireless technology connects people across distances near and far. The event is part picnic, campout, practice for emergencies, informal contest, and most of all, fun! ARRL Field Day is the most popular ham radio activity held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend in June each year, more than 31,000 hams get together with their radio clubs, schools, or friends to operate from remote locations.

https://www.arrl.org/field-day

For many radio clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights on their annual calendar. A typical Field Day site will show off many aspects of amateur radio and its many roles.

Winter Field Day at Powers High School

Some groups use Field Day as an opportunity to practice their emergency communications readiness. ARRL Field Day is an annual demonstration and invites the general public and organizations to see how amateur radio can serve in an emergency, When All Else Fails®. Hams are well-known for their communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations. Despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they are so complex — ham radio has been called into action, again and again, to provide communications in crises when it really matters.

Amateur radio also inspires the next generation of technical leaders by providing a hands-on sandbox where students gain experience in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

For those with a competitive spirit, Field Day stations compete to make radio contacts with as many other stations as possible while learning to operate radio equipment in challenging situations and less-than-optimal conditions. These same skills are used by hams who volunteer to help with large, preplanned, non-emergency events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fundraisers such as walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades, and exhibits at fairs, malls, and museums.

Who is ARRL?

With more than 137,000 members, ARRL is The National Association for Amateur Radio in the US. Our mission is to promote and protect the art, science, and enjoyment of amateur radio, and to develop the next generation of radio amateurs. ARRL and our affiliated radio clubs provide benefits to members to discover radio, to develop new skills, and to serve your local community.

What is Amateur Radio?

Often called “ham radio,” the Amateur Radio Service is a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. It is made up of people who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data, and pictures through the airwaves to places near and far without depending on commercial systems. The amateur radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications. Not only can hams build and modify their equipment, but they can also create new ways to communicate via the airwaves — and do it as a globally connected community. Many people in the hobby form lifelong friendships with people they wouldn’t have otherwise met. Many rock stars, Hollywood actors, and heads of state (and even your neighbor down the street) are ham radio operators. You can be, too! Get started at ARRL Field Day!

Courtesy of ARRL Publications

Current schedule of events for club members:

(Subject to change)

Friday June 26th

  • 1:30 PM: Initial staging and setting up of antennas and trailers at Bandon City Park. Any available members are encouraged to be here to help.

Saturday June 27th

  • 8:00AM: Final set up and preparations for operating.
  • 11:00AM: Operations begin.
  • 12:00PM: Officially open to the public…. We will not turn early birds away!
  • 4:30PM: BBQ is fired up!
  • 5:00PM: Members only BBQ and Potluck. Club supplies the burgers and hot dogs, please bring a side dish, your own drinks, and chairs to sit on.

** If you plan on attending the dinner/potluck you must RSVP to K7CCH@Outlook.com no later than Noon Friday June 26th. Failure to do so may result in not having enough Hamburgers. Please put “FD 26 Potluck” in the subject line of the email.  

  • 6:00PM: Operations Resume.
  • 8:00PM: Officially closed to the public.

** Operations persist overnight.

Sunday June 28th 

  • 8:00AM: Officially open to the public
  • 11:00AM: Operations may cease. Per rules we can only operate 24 consecutive hours due to setting up before 11:00AM Saturday. (Working on clarification)
  • 12:00AM: Closed to the public to start tearing down. ALL ABLE MEMBERS NEEDED FOR THIS!
  • 2:00PM: Operations cease at this time if we find we can operate past 11:00AM
  • 2:00PM: Tear down and clean up! Leave the area cleaner than we found it! MAY BE MOVED TO 11:00AM IF WE CANNOT OPERATE UNTIL 2:00PM 
Links: Vital information everyone should read:

What do we need club members help with before and during the event?

  • Security for late Friday and Saturday Night (Must stay awake): Open
  • Social Media: David Gerhart KK7WXV
  • Photographer: Everyone! Please take photos and videos!
  • Public Information officer/Media: Kelley Andrews W7FCM
  • Safety Officer: 1. Jerry Smith KK7EGZ 2. Open
  • Information/Welcome Table: 1. Bunny Upton KE7SAC 2. Open
  • Educational Activity: Open
  • Cook/4:30 PM Saturday: 1. Steve Humphrey KA7A 2. Open
  • Satellite Operations: Open
  • Digital Operations: Open
  • CW Operations: Chris Hozel W7MI, Zack Larson K7FC, 
  • Winlink Messages: 1. Gary McElroy N6BLU 2. Open

ARRL Bulletin: Everyone! Please look at the schedule link above and try to copy the Bulletin on Friday evening.  Best to record it!

More to come! Check back often.

Please email Gary at Info@coosradioclub.com to sign up for any of the positions above and if you have specific operating times you would like to reserve.

Your help is needed to make this year’s field day a success!

Solar Cycle 25 Declining

News Letter from Tacoma Radio Club. Solar Cycle 25 is now officially past the peak of solar activity.

https://w7dk.org

The lead article is a discussion about how to prepare for the declining solar cycle.

“During daytime the D-layer absorption becomes weaker, this allows 40 meters to open earlier in the afternoon. At night, the F-layer retains enough ionization to reflect these lower frequencies over long distances. This creates excellent low-band propagation that can last until dawn. Simply put, during a solar minimum, 40 meters often becomes the new 20 meters.”

Solar minimum: 40 meters often becomes the new 20 meters

Approaching Grand Solar Minimum?

The author reports that a minority within the solar science community have raised the possibility of an upcoming Grand Solar Minimum. A Grand Solar Minimum is a very long period of low solar activity. A few researchers have suggested the possibility of a future “Grand Solar Minimum,” similar to the historical Maunder Minimum of the 1600s. This phenomenon causes sunspot activity to remain low for decades. They are suggesting a Maunder-like grand minimum from around 2030 to 2110. A 2023 study analyzing 1,012 auroral records from Korean historical texts found clear evidence of a distinct 8-year cycle during the original Maunder Minimum, rather than the typical 11-year cycle. It should be noted that this prediction is a minority viewpoint within community.

bark_2026_06Download

Volunteers Needed For Summer Field Day

Coos County Radio Club is calling for volunteers to organize and assist managing Summer Field Day

June 26-28. Some set up work is expected on Friday. Main event Saturday & Sunday.

The Club will be showing the new trailer for the first time at the Bandon City park on west 11th street.

Join the Tuesday evening Club VHF ‘net at 7:30 to hear more.

https://www.arrl.org/field-day

Trailer Graphics Survey

Back in April, the first iteration of trailer graphics mock ups were circulated in this post.

A survey was linked at the bottom and here are the results.

‘K7CCH Trailer Graphics’ Survey Results _ Crowdsignal.comDownload

Thanks everyone who completed the survey and has so far participated to move the project forward.

We’ll be discussing it for a bit during the CCRC weekly VHF ‘net, tomorrow evening at 7:30pm.

Trailer Graphics Vote

Status: Fifth design iteration.

Everyone please join us on the air Tuesday evening.

Round table discussion. And perhaps vote go / no go.

Regular Tuesday evening K7CCH VHF net at 7:30pm. Details here.

The objective: Simple, readable text and minimum cost. Those criteria are met with plain white vinyl lettering stating the club name, web URL and call sign.

Note: We plan to add QR Code graphics not accounted for in that price.

Producing a Club logo and trailer graphics for it, is another project. REPEAT A Club logo is not in scope for this effort.

Also: A Club member has funded this portion of the trailer graphics, therefore the expense is not part of the Club’s build budget.

Bandon MeshCore

The Bandon AuxCom group (N6BLU, KF7RSF, KK7WXV) has obtained three newly minted MeshCore repeaters thanks to funder/builder Von WB6DYA.

We are seeking elevated locations for placements in Bandon. The objective is to make connections with Coos Bay and Coquille MeshCore networks already in operation.

Pictured are mature prototypes. They’re well tested and operate reliably.

These repeaters run on solar power and once situated are managed / updated over the air.

Which means AuxCom members should not need regular physical access. We don’t need to touch the appliances unless they fail.

The MeshCore project is new and we welcome inquiries. Send email for more information. MeshCore@CoosRadioClub.com

Please pass this information along to any who may be interested.

Mesh Filer 1-upDownload

MeshCore is an open-source, decentralized mesh networking protocol and software platform designed for low-power, off-the-grid text communication and telemetry.

It allows off-the-shelf radio hardware to link together to form a self-healing, private communication network completely independent of cellular service, Wi-Fi, or satellite internet.

Anyone can use the MeshCore network, no license is required.

Museum Ships Weekend

MUSEUM SHIPS WEEKEND


JUNE 5TH – 7TH

All Aboard for 2026 Museum Ships Weekend! The historic U.S.S. Lucid is the setting for SDARC Museum Ships Weekend – this weekend! We are running a 3 station set up including CW, SSB Voice and Digital to make worldwide contacts. Over 100 ships around the world are participating and being “hunted” by Amateur Radio Operators world-wide in pursuit of awards… Several current and former U.S. Navy veterans will be on-the-air. This is a great event aboard a local piece of history. If you’ve never participated in a special event station, if you’ve never been on HF, Museum Ships Weekend is your opportunity to experience both. Experienced operators will be on board to help you. The USS Lucid is located at 3100 Monte Diablo Road in Stockton, behind the buildings at the river edge – across from the ball fields at Louis Park.

This is where I (Ki6DC) lived for many years, blessings, Eugene

Trailer Graphics

The most recent iterated design for the club trailer graphics has arrived from a local vendor.

Thanks to Maya Graphics for their effort in the the design and pricing.

We asked for simple white lettering. And I gave permission to mock up components similar to the first attempt. This would (theoretically) provide some ability for price comparison.

If we install the vinyl ourselves, we save $350.

Coos County Radio Club_TRAILER PROOFDownload

Previously the cost estimate was less than $500.00:

Trailer Graphics

*Note: These expenses are not included in the remodel budget, as a member has volunteered to cover them.

Modified CB Radio

Thanks to the Coos County Radio Club website, a member of the public came forward with an illegally modified Citizens Band radio. And due to that interaction the radio has been removed from circulation.

Prohibition of Sale: The FCC strictly prohibits the marketing, advertising, or selling of non-certified or illegally modified radio equipment. This applies to everyone, regardless of whether they hold a Ham license or not.

Legal Mumbo Jumbo, CB Radio & the Law

If you modify your radio for extra “channels” or freeband operation the radio is now illegal to use to transmit. If you modify your radio’s clarifier to adjust TX frequency your radio is now illegal to use to transmit.

If a CB shop (any CB shop) does a “peak and tune” to your CB radio and it increases the modulation or output power over FCC levels the radio is now illegal to use to transmit. It doesn’t matter that it’s a CB shop with a business license that did the work on your radio, it still becomes an illegal CB radio to use for transmitting.

It’s simply illegal to make any modifications to your CB radio. What does this mean? You cannot legally change anything inside the radio and then use the radio for transmitting.

Collection of CB gear taken out of circulation
Tram Diamond 60 SSB CB radio
Palomar 80 watt amp
Back of the radio
Original notes of modifications and how to access the expanded list of channels
Back of the amp

This is one service the Ham Radio community is ready to help the public with – What to do with legacy radio gear of all kinds.

In this case, a member took possession of the gear and will assure proper disposal of the radio.

The 80 watt HF amp might work well for POTA though!