Field Day

Emergency Communications and SKYWARN are just part of the story….. Amateur radio can be lots of fun, too!

We can communicate with other amateur radio operators around the world. The person you might be talking to may live in Indiana or in India! Every year the Jim Bell Wireless Association participates in Field Day, the 4th full weekend in January and June. Amateur radio operators by the thousands get on the airwaves. It gets us away from our cozy homes and takes us into temporary shelters, mobile communication trailers and tents; relying on generators, batteries or solar; to power our radio equipment. It is a lot of fun and allows many new operators a chance to get their first taste of competitive operations. It also provides excellent practice to simulate working in an emergency situation. We hold our Field Day event in the Greenville area and encourage everyone to attend and participate in our activities.

Winter Field Day

The January Field Day is sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association and is held the fourth weekend in January.

Winter Field Day Association (WFDA) is a dedicated group of Amateur Radio Operators who believe that emergency communications in a winter environment is just as important as the preparations and practice that is done each summer but with some additional unique operational concerns.

 We believe as do those entities of ARRL Organizations like ARES & RACES that maintaining your operational skills should not be limited to fair weather scenarios. The addition of Winter Field Day will enhance those already important skills of those that who generously volunteer their time and equipment to these organizations.

JBWA participated as a club in the 2019 and 2020 Winter Field Days. For 2021 and 2022, members participated individually and sent scores in under the club name. For 2023, JBWA will be back as a club activity!

ARRL Field Day

The June Field Day is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League and is held the fourth weekend in June. The details for Field Day can be found here.

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

Field Day is a picnic, a camp-out, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!

It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar

JBWA has participated in many ARRL Field Days over the history of the club. For 2021/2022,) the club operated from a field location (normal) but individuals who do not feel safe, could operate from home and submit scores under the club name (special rule change). For more information about 2021 and 2022, see the web pages Field Day 2021 and Field Day 2022.