Category: Event News

Another Field Day in the books. This year was a little different than previous for CCARA. For the first time we ran our operation completely on solar and battery, the exception being the logging computers and the network equipment. It was a massive success and our goal for next year will be to run completely on solar/battery for all field day equipment. We would like to say a special thanks to Lee KC2VFX and his family for hosting Field Day this year and for being the chef! We would also like to thank Tom Breckel, Clinton County EMA Director and Steve Lewis N8TFD, Ohio ARES District 4 DEC for stopping by and visiting! This year we ended up with a total of 311 contacts. 106 of those were CW, 55 were phone and 150 were digital. Our furthest contact was New Zealand on digital. Below are some stats and some pictures of the event.

We had a great day participating in the 2021 Skywarn Recognition Day at the NWS office in Wilmington. While we weren’t able to be in the office, we were able to be on premise. Overall we made around 45 contacts on SSB and digital.

Unfortunately, several setbacks in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic make necessary the difficult decision to cancel Hamvention 2021. Hundreds of volunteers have been working to do everything necessary to bring this Hamvention to the many amateur radio enthusiasts and vendors who support the Dayton Hamvention.

Saturday October 3, 2020
9a – 5p (Setup starts at 7:30a)

See the note below from Stan Broadway Hey gang!  This year’s SET will be October 3 and 4, and it’s going to be a big one!!   As you know, we have been working on Matt’s curriculum of traffic management to take ARES in Ohio up to the next level- by making us much more proficient in sending messages….the one main thing we’re tasked with doing! Matt’s plans this year will make this a LOCAL exercise for your county, and counties around you.  Yes, there’s a broader umbrella program involved, that actually involves FEMA, Washington DC, but the focus is on YOUR county, and the effort has been to put together a realistic exercise that you might easily face in real life. So let’s get warmed up!  Take a look at this video:  https://youtu.be/gPYvqfGARm4   and see if that helps get you excited. We are creating a “message handling” curriculum for ALL ARES members, we think you’ll like it! So far, viewer testing has been really positive! So take a look and get ready for the SET October 3 and 4th!  It’s getting closer. -Stan

Unfortunately due to recent developments and mandates related to COVID-19, we have decided to cancel the hamfest for this year. Look for us next year!

Wow! What a fun and different Field Day for 2020. Myself and K8DSC operated out of my garage in Blanchester to at least get some fresh air and stay out of the rain. The bands were alive and people all over the world were operating from their homes instead of at their usual FD hangout. It provided a different atmosphere on the radio, there were a lot of 1D and 1E stations doing exactly what K8DSC and I were doing. Everyone on the air sounded genuinely happy to be there! How could you not enjoy yourself? With CCARA not doing its usual joint Field Day due to COVID-19, we setup a Live Contest Results page to help us stay connected from our QTHs. What I found myself doing was engaging in was a little spirited competition with the others by refreshing that page as I racked up more QSOs. What place was I in (even though there were no places to be had)? It was neat, it was fun. I look forward to getting together as a group for next year’s Field Day, but will certainly remember this one fondly and know that we can still meet the objective of Field Day, and that is resourcefulness and creativity. 73,-Andrew W9AMA