June 23 - 24, 2012

The Coconino Amateur Radio Club held it's annual ARRL Field Day June 23-24, 2012 at Summitt Fire Station #33, in Coconino County, approx. 3 miles north of Flagstaff, just off of N. Hwy 89. This event was held in conjunction with the Northern Arizona DX Assosciation. Field Day was well attended and a good time was had by all.

What is Field Day?

Depending on who you ask, you may get several different answers. For some it's a contest, a chance to hone their long distance (DX) skills by contacting as many distant stations as possible in a 24 hour period. For others it's an opportunity to perfect their emergency preparedness (EMCOMM) skills. Operating on alternative power sources (generators, solar, battery), operators practice operating on marginal, or worse, conditions, to provide communications in the event of an emergency or a disaster. It is also a great opportunity to make the public more aware of the role amateur radio plays in the local and worldwide communities. The general public and local government officials get a chance to see amateur radio in action. They even have the opportunity to make "contacts" via the Get On The Air (GOTA) station set up for this very purpose. This is also a very effective way of recruiting new people into the ranks of amateur radio. And as much as anything else it is a social event . A chance for neighbor to meet neighbor, and an opportunity for amateur radio operators to share their passion with their community and their fellow "hams".