Field Day 2025 is rapidly approaching and planning for this event is well underway. It is the largest ham radio event of the year. This annual event combines the technical skills with outreach and preparedness. Part of amateur radio is also public service using our skills to support our local city with public event communications, preparedness for communications outages and education. SEPAR is city’s Emergency Program arm for amateur radio. Our local amateurs provide support to this program. Surrey Amateur Radio Communications (SARC) is the non-profit society that provides the local amateur radio activities which in turn create the enthusiastic and trained volunteers which volunteer with the city.
Field day is both a contest and an emergency exercise. It challenges us to set up our equipment to get the best results which ensures we set up and test all of our equipment annually. It gives a chance for newly licensed amateurs to get on the air on a busy weekend where they will get to experience using the radio to make contacts throughout North America. It allows us to invite the city agencies to see our trained volunteers operating the equipment.
It is a tremendously fun time. The camaraderie of the local radio community coming together, visiting, sharing a meal or two and talking/using our radio gear is an annual highlight for amateur radio. It is also a fantastic reminder of the value of a trained amateur radio operator to the local community. Being confident in the use of our radios, and abilities. Knowing how far and to whom we can communicate with various modes in an emergency is extremely valuable. Whether it be digital modes, voice or CW having amateurs with radios and knowledge of how to use them is a skill that is extremely valuable in situations where normal communications are not possible.
Field day is the annual reminder to test out our gear. Is my radio programmed correctly, do I have a means to power it without traditional “grid power”. How is my antenna working? Do I have new gear that I am looking forward to testing? It is also exciting to contact a friend in another city that I may have met at a local hamfest or simply talked to on the radio several times. Questions about what alternative modes and equipment I might use if the “bands” aren’t doing well due to solar activity.
SEPAR members will be volunteering as part of the team for this year’s field day in Surrey. The 100’ portable tower Bigfoot will be set up along with the SEPAR trailer and radios to participate in the event. Our local elected officials and public service agencies have been invited. As this next Communicator is released field day will be over and the many stories will be shared about the weekend.
Our website has recently undergone a major upgrade and many pictures of the event will be available. Please make sure to visit and have a look: www.ve7sar.net
If you have been traveling or other reasons have kept you from participating in this year’s field day you haven’t missed everything. Each week we run practice nets via radio, have a drop in breakfast and a drop in at the Operations and Training Center (OTC) where many of our group come together and try out new things, test equipment and learn from each other. Every week there is an opportunity to get help setting up your radio, Winlink, antenna, mesh node etc. There is opportunity to get coaching on operating a radio, or participating as one of our contest operators.
Our SEPAR/SARC team is a community that is welcoming and open to have you drop in and join us. I hope you will one day drop in and say hi - 5756 142 Street, Surrey, BC
As always if you have any questions please reach out.
Gord Kirk, VA7GK
Volunteer SEPAR Coordinator
coordinator@separ.ca
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