It’s not too early to gear up and get ready for ARRL Field Day! Field Day 2026 takes place June 27 – 28 and will bring together more than 30,000 amateur radio operators for one of the most popular on-the-air events in the US and Canada.
This year’s Field Day theme is “Amateur Radio: A National Resource.” Combined with the ARRL Year of the Club, it provides the perfect opportunity for radio clubs to set up stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill, and service to our communities and our nation.
All of the information you need to get started can be found on the Field Day web page, including how to join the ARRL Field Day Facebook Group, where you can share your plans, tips, and tricks for a successful Field Day.
The overall objective for Field Day is to contact as many stations as possible on the 160-, 80-, 40-, 20-,15- and 10-meter HF bands, as well as all bands above 50 MHz, and to learn to operate in less than optimal conditions. Many clubs choose to set up in camp-style fashion with portable equipment, temporary antennas, and off-grid power sources.
Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2 (North and South America). DX stations residing in other regions may be contacted for credit, but are not eligible to submit entries. Each claimed contact must include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may be either locally or by remote.
Also check out the Field Day site locator page to help find participating stations near you. As an added incentive for anyone participating in ARRL’s yearlong America250 Worked All States (WAS) Award, contacts made with ARRL Affiliated Radio Clubs all year, including during Field Day, will count toward your America250 WAS Affiliated Club Endorsement. Check out those details at www.arrl.org/america250-was.
For more information about ARRL Field Day, visit www.arrl.org/field-day.