June and Field Day
Quick Look at Current Cycle 25 Conditions:
(Data rounded to nearest whole number)
Sunspots:
Observed Monthly, March 2021: 17
12-month smoothed, September 2020: 10
10.7-cm Flux:
Observed Monthly, March 2021: 74
12-month smoothed, September 2020: 71
ONE YEAR AGO:
(Data rounded to nearest whole number)
Sunspots:
Observed Monthly, March 2020: 1
12-month smoothed, September 2019: 2
10.7-cm Flux:
Observed Monthly, March 2020: 70
12-month smoothed, September 2019: 70
The annual ARRL Field Day is always the fourth full weekend in June. This year, that means Field Day is June 26th and 27th. Operations begin at 1800 UTC Saturday and end at 2059 UTC Sunday. Refer to the official ARRL Field Day Packet for full rules and details. The packet can be downloaded by browsing to <http://g.nw7us.us/2021FDpack> for the file, 2021 Field Day Packet.pdf. The introduction to Field Day, found on the Field Day webpage at ARRL <www.arrl.org/field-day> states,
Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.
The official Field Day 2021 introduction states that the goal of this year’s field day is, as for every year’s field day, “to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions.” This year, the abnormal situations include the COVID-19 pandemic, just as they did last year. As of presstime, the ARRL is maintaining a vigil on the situation, “paying close attention to all>.”
