Field Day 2025 has come and gone. I am writing this article on July 1st and trying to recall all the excitement from the previous weekend. Where do I start? How about we start at the beginning!
One morning various hams from the club got together for breakfast and discussed how Field Day 2025 would be organized. As this was my 1st Field Day with SCARA, I didn’t know what to expect. During breakfast I could tell this was going to be a great event. This conversation was not your ordinary, boring, micro-managed planning session you might find in Corporate America. No, Sir. This was a group of energetic and enthusiastic people coming together to plan an amazing Field Day.
Field Day comes in many forms across the Country. Field Day is not a contest, but it can be competitive for some groups, and they treat it as such. Other Clubs treat more or an equipment and procedure testing event for EmComm. For some Field Day is more of a social gathering than anything else. Then there is the Field Day event that I witnessed.
Around 8am on Saturday June 28th, 2025, members of the Sumner County Amateur Radio Association started arriving at Bledsoe Creek State Park in Gallatin, TN. As the time approached closer to the official start time for the on-air event, 1300 CST, more members arrived. Things were starting to come together as planned. Canopies were deployed along with solar panels, batteries, antennas, coax, laptops and all the other essentials for a great fully equipped amateur radio station to get ready to operate.
While some were setting up their stations others were arriving with food and drinks. Some brought ice, some brought Rowdy Beans, some brought condiments. Others brought propane and a Blackstone griddle. This was shaping up to be more than just an on air radio event. This was becoming a great collection of food, friends and radios, the order of importance is different for everyone.
At 11:30 am Jon, W4JDM, the “Club Facilitator” as he calls himself, we simply call him the President, put on his chef’s hat and was cooking burgers, dogs and bratts for the hard-working hungry crew. Setting all this stuff up takes energy and we needed to refuel before starting time.
Before we started eating, we gathered at Pavilion 1, the base of operations, for a group prayer and to remember all the Silent Keys that will always be part of the SCARA Family! Jon read aloud each call sign and name prior to a moment of silence honoring them all. Unfortunately, the list will get longer as the years go on but that’s life and the few moments it takes to honor the SKs are worth their memory and honor!
Burgers, Dogs, Bratts, Pickled, Relish, Rowdy Beans, Kraft individually wrapped cheese slices, mustard, ketchup, mayo, potato salad, chips and anything else you could imagine was there. This was a smorgasbord of delicious groceries that no one could top. An impressive spread to say the least. The burgers, dogs and bratts came off the grill into the sterno heated serving pans and were swiped away faster than Jon could send them over. The group was hungry for sure and it showed!
Lunch was completed by 12:50 and the radio operators were chomping at the bit to start calling CQ and raking up those contacts. About 30 minutes in most operations were paused due to a thunderstorm that rolled in. That’s how it goes sometimes, but you just roll with it. Once the all-clear was sounded the guys went back to work.
Visitors, some hams and some not, stopped by at various times of the day to check out the operation and see what Field Day was all about. All visitors were welcomed and encouraged to enjoy in the food and radio operations. As the Elmers of the group had discussions with the visitors I got a chill. You could feel the enthusiasm in the air, the sound of the SSB noise floor and the distant voices giving their call signs, call and sections during the exchanges with the operators in ear shot. There were discussions about equipment, testing, radios, weather ballons, and lots of other radio related topics. The experience in the group was shining like a silver platter outside on a sunny day!
Collectively W4Z, the special event call for SCARA on Field Day 2025, operated 3 stations simultaneously on various bands and modes. CW, yes CW or Morse Code is still alive and well, SSB or Phone and some digital modes were used. Radios were getting hot and batteries started to drain as they worked nonstop for almost 24 hours of continuous operation over day and night. The eye lid started to fall and the pace slowed but all ventured on and wouldn’t stop as there was a task to complete, and they were committed to finishing what they started.
Everyone brought something and added to the success. This was not a single person’s accomplishment, this was a group effort that was rewarded with great food, great people and great fun. Families were there together enjoying in the fun. The ages ranged from young children to seniors. I am eagerly looking forward to next year and it can not come soon enough.
While the author does not have the final tally of contacts for all stations, bands and modes nor a complete list of all those that attended I can say with 100% certainty that this was one of the best, well attended, most organized, enlightening and encouraging Field Day events I have witnessed to date. I strongly suggest anyone within driving distance of the Sumner County Amateur Radio Association Field Day 2026 take a few moments and swing by. Next year will be bigger and better, which is not an easy undertaking. How can one out do what seemed to be the best already.
