Two seasons.
Same challenge.
Twice a year, GSARA takes amateur radio out of the shack and into the field for two very different operating experiences.
ARRL Field Day brings us together every summer. Winter Field Day asks us to do it again when New Hampshire weather makes things a little more interesting.
Come anyway. Field Day is one of the best opportunities to see stations in action, meet operators and experience amateur radio outside the usual shack.
Summer operating, emergency preparedness and amateur radio in the community.
Portable operating when cold, snow and winter conditions become part of the challenge.
Same hobby.
Very different experience.
GSARA participates in two Field Day events each year. Both get amateur radio out of the shack, but the experience changes quite a bit depending on whether we're setting up in June or January.
Summer
Field Day
A weekend of portable operating, emergency preparedness, experimentation and community. It's also one of our best opportunities to show visitors what amateur radio looks like in action.
Winter
Field Day
Portable radio with another variable added: winter. Cold temperatures, snow and shorter daylight make station setup, power and operating conditions part of the challenge.
Build a station somewhere different.
See what you can do with it.
Take amateur radio
outside.
Every June, GSARA joins amateur radio operators across the country for ARRL Field Day.
We build temporary stations, put antennas in the air and spend the weekend making contacts. But Field Day is about more than the number of stations in the log. It's an opportunity to operate together, experiment with equipment and share amateur radio with anyone who stops by.
Multiple stations mean plenty of radio activity and opportunities to see different operating styles, bands and modes.
Temporary antennas, portable power and field equipment turn an open space into a working amateur radio station.
Field Day gives visitors a chance to see amateur radio working in the real world instead of just hearing someone explain it.
You don't have to spend
the whole weekend operating.
Stop by. See how the stations are put together. Watch some contacts happen. Ask questions. Field Day is just as much about spending time around amateur radio as it is about making contacts.
Now do it
in January.
Portable radio changes when cold, snow and winter conditions become part of the operating environment.
Winter Field Day gives GSARA members another chance to get stations out of the shack—but this time, staying warm, managing power and adapting to the conditions are all part of the experience.
Cold temperatures, snow and limited daylight change how you think about equipment, shelter and the way a station gets deployed.
Portable power becomes part of the operating challenge when you're building a station away from the comfort of the shack.
Once the antennas are up and the stations are ready, the goal is still familiar: make contacts and see what the station can do.
of the challenge.
Because the shack doesn't
teach you everything.
Winter Field Day gives us a chance to find out what works when the environment isn't cooperating. You learn about your equipment, your station and usually a few things you would do differently the next time.
Come anyway.
You don't need a portable station, a perfect antenna or years of operating experience. You don't even need to know what all the equipment does yet.
Look around.
Ask questions.
See how stations are put together, listen to contacts being made and meet the people behind the callsigns.
Walk around and see the radios, antennas, power systems and different ways members put a field station together.
Listen to what's happening on the air and have someone explain what you're hearing.
Nobody expects a newcomer to understand everything. Field Day is a great place to learn by seeing it happen.
Stop in for a quick visit or spend more time with us. You don't have to commit to the entire event to be part of Field Day.
That's okay too.
If you're curious about amateur radio, Field Day gives you a chance to see the hobby before deciding where you want to go next.
Every Field Day
has a story.
Different weather. Different stations. Different operators. Every Summer and Winter Field Day gives us another story to bring back to the club.
Take a look back at previous GSARA Field Days, the stations we built, the people who participated and the experiences that made each event different.
The next station
could have you in it.
Whether it's January or June, Field Day is better when more people get involved. Come operate, help with setup, learn something new or simply stop by and see what GSARA is doing.
Winter Field Day 2026 was one for the logbooks—and the stories. ❄️📻 Our club hauled out two fully battery-powered outdoor stations, stared down cold temperatures and snowy conditions, and proved once again that hams are a special kind of stubborn (in the best way).
Fingers were frozen, keying was “extra deliberate,” and mics may have had icicles, but it didn’t slow us down one bit. By the end of the outing, we had 100 solid contacts in the log across CW and SSB, plenty of laughs, and that warm satisfaction that only comes from doing radio the hard way—outside, unplugged, and loving every minute of it.