By David, VA3UDA

Note: This is an initial, informal report on OARC Field Day 2026, partly authored by David, VA3UDA, and partly “crowd sourced” from the flood of emails that have arrived since. The usual “official” Field Day report will follow, when all the logs are compiled and evaluated. It will be added here so be sure to check back in the coming weeks.

The 2026 OARC Field Day event was hosted on Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th, with dozens of active participants attending the two-day event that resulted in hundreds of contacts made throughout North America over a twenty-four-hour period.

…”it was certainly a very good Field Day, with great participation.”

“I completely agree with the positive feedback about the camaraderie and everyone’s willingness to pitch in. Throughout the weekend, whenever I asked someone to help with a task, it was always done quickly, cheerfully, and without hesitation. That spirit of teamwork really made the event enjoyable, and I appreciated it very much.”

“The same goes for packing up at the end. I had four carloads of equipment to take home, but thanks to all the help I received, we managed to get everything loaded in one fell swoop. In previous years, I would have made several back-and-forth trips.”

Despite the scorching temperatures that greeted participants and visitors alike during the first morning, at a time when multiple stations were in the process of being set up, winds and clouds mercifully entered the region shortly at around noon, providing a balmier afternoon just in time for the commencement of the contest, which began at 2 PM Eastern Time Saturday.

OARC Field Day 2026 welcomed many new hams this year, folks who had just taken the course and passed the exam in recent years. New hams are the future of Amateur Radio and the life blood of the Club, so experienced Field-Day operators were sure to offer a warm welcome and lots of support. Many new Field Day participants reported a very positive experience.

“From a newcomer’s perspective, FD2026 will always be remembered. I was welcomed and made to feel part of the well-oiled machine from the get-go. Everywhere I turned, smiling faces, jovial temperaments, improvised collaboration, and wonderful conversation.”

“Thank you all for a very warm welcome into this great club!”

“I would like to thank everyone for giving me an opportunity to join the FD team.”

“It was a fantastic experience. It was great to meet so many local hams who share the passion for this hobby. I wish I had joined your FD efforts earlier.”

“The club is doing a very good job in attracting new hams and in training them on the air. I could not believe how quickly [we learned] how to operate efficiently.”

Every year, the OARC is very fortunate to have Janice, VA3PAX, manage all the planning, provisioning and logistics of providing cold and cooked meals and snacks throughout Field Day. She is a critically important part of our team! Janice buys the food (and drinks), prepares the food (hot and cold), she brings it to our FD site, she serves the food, she gathers up the dirty dishes and washes them for the next meal. She keeps everything refrigerated and heats things up just in time and she brings everything back home and packs it away until next year. OARC President Roger, VA3EGY, said:

“I can tell you from past experience, trying to find a volunteer who will be responsible for even a single meal is a challenge. And they might do it once or a couple of times but then you are looking for another volunteer. Or everybody has to bring their own bag lunch and that is such a missed opportunity because sitting together for a meal is part of the experience and why people come out to Field Day. We are so lucky to have Greg and Janice together — making this activity such a fantastic experience for everyone involved.”

Contacts were regularly made right until the contest formally closed at 2 PM Eastern Time Sunday. A full, official Field Day 2026 report will be appended to this web post in the coming weeks when it’s ready. In the meantime, here is a sample of some of the operating accomplishments that have arrived by email:

“Rick, VE3IHI, brought his trailer and it housed the digital station.”

“We contacted W9OG in Indiana, which is a club call sign. The club is celebrating 75 years and is over 1,200 km away. 4F means they had four radios and the letter (F) denotes an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) station—an Amateur Radio station operating from an established government or civil-defense organization.”~ Dave, VA3OOC

“I sent 10 emails via Winlink Express from VE3RC using the ICS213 Form on 145.010 simplex to the gateway at VA3PYC. This was my first time operating WinLink and I sure learned a lot (for next year too)! Thanks for including me on the team.” ~ Roger, VA3EGY

Lots of feedback has been flooding in about various technical successes and “lessons learned” from this year’s Field Day.

“We should definitely have [a spare antenna] in reserve. Ironically, this was the first year I didn’t bring a spare because we’d never needed one before. Lesson learned!”

“One additional point I’d make is that any antennas we bring should be proven performers. I don’t think Field Day is the right time to test a brand-new antenna, especially a homebrew, with crossed fingers and high hopes. The same principle applies to other critical equipment, including radios and computers. Everything should be fully tested, configured, and ready to go before the weekend begins.”

“As for the antennas, it was the end-fed for the FT-8 station that seemed not to be working as well as it should. The end-fed for the CW station worked well in my view, same as it always has. It may just have been the lower height (at one end), but I’d like to eliminate the 49:1 transformer as a factor.”

In the late afternoon on Sunday, OARC Field Day participants gradually packed their equipment and left the premises for the last time.

Hosted at 1345 Baseline Road, the location has long served as the Scouts Canada Headquarters, following its opening in 1959, with its doors expected to permanently close later this summer. At this time, it is not known with certainty where the next Field Day contest will take place come 2027, though it is a certainty that it will not be at the site that had increasingly become as acquainted with Amateur Radio as it had been for Scouts Canada.

Field Day photos courtesy of David, VA3UDA and Greg, VE3YTZ