Winter Field Day – WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio

Winter Field Day 2025

I did a modest Winter Field Day (WFD) operation this year, doing a little operating each day from a POTA/WWFF park. My aim was to make at least enough WFD contacts to complete a couple activations in the process.

Logging

Except for ARRL Field Day, I’ve always been a diehard paper logger. For this year’s WFD, I wanted to try using my tablet for logging. Since I planned to operate mostly “search & pounce,” I figured I’d be able to adapt easily.

I’m using an Amazon Fire tablet these days. It was inexpensive and has good battery life, but ham radio applications—and applications in general—are limited in the Amazon Appstore. To get around Amazon’s limitations, I installed the Google Play application. Following some instructions I found on the Internet, it was a fairly simple process to find and install the four apps required to do that. Now I can install just about any app available through Google Play, and they run fine under Fire OS.

Using my new capabilities, I installed both the HamRS and Ham2K PoLo logging apps and did some testing. I like that the ADIF produced by HamRS uses separate fields for “Category” and “Section.” This is compatible with the N3FJP WFD logger, should I ever want to import it there. In the end, however, I opted to go with PoLo. The user interface is less busy on my tablet.

My Winter Field Day setup in the truck. It took some getting used to, but the tablet worked out pretty well for logging.

I’m very fastidious about backing up my data in the field. Since neither PoLo nor HamRS have an automatic backup function (like the N3FJP loggers have), my strategy was to periodically export the ADIF and Cabrillo files to my Dropbox account.

Day 1

On Saturday afternoon, I headed out to Marsh Creek State Park (US-1380, KFF-1380) and operated from the truck in my usual spot close to the lake. The park was busy with folks ice fishing, skating, or just walking around on the frozen lake, so the parking lot was pretty full.

I used my KX3 (5 watts) so I could access 15M and 10M. For my antenna, I used my 12-foot loaded whip fed through a 1:1 coaxial choke. (More on that setup in another post.)

This year I operated as 1M EPA, searching and pouncing for contacts. There was a ton of CW activity on 40M and 20M, so I had plenty of stations to pounce on. The 20M band, in particular, was jam-packed with CW signals. There was QRM galore. The 15M and 10M bands had less activity, so I didn’t have to fight with pile-ups to work stations.

Once again, my QU-21C paddles gave me problems. (The poor operator on the other end probably thought I was having a medical emergency.) I switched to my Palm Mini paddles and kept going.

Paddle problems notwithstanding, two hours of operation produced 29 Winter Field Contacts and two POTA park-to-park contacts in the log.

Day 2

On Sunday morning, I went back up to Marsh Creek to make a few more contacts. Activity was not as brisk as the day before, and it was harder finding stations I hadn’t already worked. Despite that, I worked 21 WFD stations in a little more than an hour. Most of my contacts were on 40M and 20M, with only one on 15M.

After cleaning the contacts the night before, the QU-21C paddles worked flawlessly this time out. I might need to take them apart to see what’s going on with the contacts on the DIT side.

Wrap-up

I finished up with a grand total of 50 CW WFD contacts this year. This wasn’t my best showing, but it was far from my worst. Considering the limited time spent on it, I did OK—by my standards.

Logging on the tablet worked out fine, for the most part. Operating in the “search and pounce” mode, I could easily keep up poking away with a stylus. If I was running stations in a pile-up, it would have been more difficult. I’m a pretty good touch typist, so I would probably do better using my Bluetooth keyboard with the tablet.

It was nice to actually have some winter weather here in southeastern Pennsylvania for this year’s Winter Field Day. I hope everyone who participated had a successful Winter Field Day.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Multi-Purpose Outing

Heading out for some portable operations yesterday, I had a few objectives in mind. First, I needed to take some pictures of an antenna mount for an article I’m working on. I also wanted to do a POTA activation, while also making some Winter Field Day (WFD) contacts. Lastly, I wanted to try out an inexpensive LiFePO4 battery I recently purchased.

I planned to do all this stuff while at Ridley Creek State Park (K-1414, KFF-1414). I started off by setting up to take the pictures for the article. After getting the shots I needed, I set up to get on the air. Today, I was using my KX3 (5 watts CW) and 12-foot loaded whip. I also had a 29-foot vertical wire fed through a 9:1 unun.

My POTA/Winter Field Day setup. The straight key was pressed into service for a Straight Key Century Club contact.

I finished setting up about 10 minutes before WFD kicked off, so I started calling “CQ POTA” on 30M. By the time WFD started, I had the required 10 POTA contacts in the log. After marking myself as “QRT” on the POTA spotting page, I started “searching and pouncing” on the bands. I was hunting for WFD, POTA, or anything else that seemed interesting.

After a little under two hours, I wrapped up with 25 contacts in my log. Thirteen of them were WFD contacts. I also had a park-to-park QSO with AA4XX down in North Carolina. It’s always a pleasure to work Paul. A Straight Key Century Club contact with K3Y/8 rounded out my log.

The battery I was using today was a 6 Ah LiFePO4 battery I found on Amazon for about $20 (US). My trusty Bioenno batteries are still hanging tough after more than six years of use, but I was curious to see how this cheap battery would work. It did just fine, but we’ll see how it holds up over time.

The $20 6Ah LiFePO4 battery I used for the first time today. It got the job done.

With some welcomed mild weather yesterday, this wasn’t the most wintry of Winter Field Days here in Pennsylvania. I wish I had more time for it this weekend, but life had other plans for me. Best of luck to everyone taking part in WFD.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Winter Field Day 2023

I’ve been a little under the weather this week, but I managed to get out and make a some Winter Field Day contacts. I was on the air for a couple of hours each day, operating in the new “Mobile” category.

My location this year was on some land owned by my daughter and her husband. I operated from my truck on top of a hill, which has always been an excellent location for me. (Thanks to my son-in-law for clearing out the area for me.)

On Saturday, I operated during the first hour or so of the contest, using my KX3 and homebrew vertical. I spent all of my time on 40M, and the band was in great shape. I logged 23 CW contacts. Among those, were three SSB contacts I made for the extra multiplier. Winter Field Day is usually the only time I use a microphone on HF, so it always feels awkward for me.

I went back out there on Sunday morning, but this time things got off to a rough start. After I set up my antenna, I got in the truck to set up my KX3 only to find I left it at home. Fortunately, I had my TR-35 in the truck as a backup. (I guess I need to go back and read my old post on checklists.) There was also a protracted search for an adapter I dropped. Eventually, I got my act together and got on the air.

The setup this time out was my TR-35, Elecraft T1 ATU, and a Rybakov vertical. The antenna was simply a 25-foot (7.6M) vertical wire fed through a 4:1 unun that I built recently. I used another 25-foot (7.6M) wire on the ground for a radial. Since I only worked 40M the day before, I planned to concentrate on 20M, 15M, and 10M. With the TR-35, however, 20M was as high as I could go for Winter Field Day.

The 4:1 unun used with the Rybakov vertical

Most of my contacts this time around were on 20M. The band was in good shape, and the Rybakov vertical performed well for me. I was able to work just about every station I could hear including a couple of west coast stations.

I ended the weekend with a total of 46 WFD contacts in 25 sections. While I never set any records, WFD is always one of my favorite events.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Winter Field Day 2022

Thanks to a snowstorm and some personal matters, my Winter Field Day effort was limited this year. The snow didn’t stop until midday Saturday, so I waited until Sunday morning to get out and make some contacts. Wanting to stay close to home, I drove over to Black Rock Sanctuary, a county park about 15 minutes away.

When I arrived at the park, the County had done an excellent job of plowing the parking lot. It was no surprise that I was the only one there. The temperature was 17° F (-8° C) with a windchill of 7° F (-14° C), so I raced to set up my vertical on the back of the truck to avoid numb fingers. Fortunately, the sun shining through the truck’s windows helped to warm up my operating position.

My mobile QRP shack at Black Rock Sanctuary for Winter Field Day 2022

I spent about 45 minutes on 40M CW, doing all “search and pounce”. Normally, there isn’t much noise at this location. Today, however, the noise on 40M was S4-S5 at times. The 20M band was much quieter, so I spent the rest of my time there. Before packing up, I plugged in my microphone and made a couple of SSB contacts.

I was on the air for just under 2 hours, using the exchange: 1O EPA. In the end, I had 30 contacts in the log. The best “DX” today was California.

I was glad I could take part again this year, if even for a short time.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Winter Field Day 2021

Plans have a way of changing in a heartbeat. I originally planned to do my usual stationary-mobile setup for Winter Field Day. A trip to visit family in central Pennsylvania nixed that plan. Then, at the last minute, an impending snowstorm caused us to cancel that trip. And just like that, Winter Field Day was on again—at least some limited participation.

Due to the last-minute change in plans, Saturday was out of the question for me. Instead, I headed out Sunday morning for a few hours. I went out to nearby Black Rock Sanctuary, one of my regular haunts. I kept things simple and went with my usual stationary-mobile setup: KX3 at 5 watts and my 19-foot vertical on the truck. I also left the laptop at home, opting for paper logging.

WB3GCK hunkered down for Winter Field Day 2021. Although it was in the 20s outside, it was a balmy 40F in the truck.

I made a few contacts on 20M, but 40M was more active. So, I spent most of my time on 40M. As is my custom for Winter Field Day, I dusted off my microphone and made a rare appearance on SSB.

I found this device in my bag and used it for a few Winter Field Day QSOs.

I was out for about 2 hours until the snow started coming down steadily. I ended up with 24 WFD QSOs—19 CW and 5 SSB. My toes were getting cold anyway, so I packed up and headed home. Although it wasn’t my best showing, I did better than last year. In any event, Winter Field Day is always a fun time.

Now it’s time to break out the snow shovels and get ready for the snow storm that’s coming.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Winter Field Day 2020

With family coming in this weekend, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to participate in this year’s Winter Field Day. I did, however, manage to get out for a couple of hours at the start of the contest.

It was raining cats and dogs when I arrived at Black Rock Sanctuary, one of my favorite operating spots. I had my usual stationary-mobile set up ready to go a few minutes before the starting time.

My antenna bundled up for a rainy Winter Field Day.

I mostly operated CW on 40M and 20M, but I did manage a couple of rare—for me, at least—SSB contacts on 40M. I ended up with 20 contacts in my log. There were quite a few familiar callsigns from previous Winter Field Days.

It was getting hard to find new CW stations to work, so I decided to head out and get some errands done. I hope everyone who stuck it out had a fun—and warm—Winter Field Day.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Winter Field Day 2019

Between errands and other obligations, I squeezed in a little time for Winter Field Day. I was only on for about 3 hours over the weekend but it was still fun.

On Saturday, I went to one of my usual Winter operating spots, Black Rock Sanctuary. (It’s one of a few local parks that have Porta-Potties year round.) I used my usual stationary-mobile set-up and operated from inside the truck. I operated in category 1O from EPA.

WB3GCK operating in Winter Field Day 2019. If you look closely, you can see a microphone connected to my KX3. Yep. I actually made some SSB contacts.

I got off to a rough start, though. My trusty Palm Mini paddles gave me some problems. The connector at the paddles wasn’t making reliable contact. After fiddling with it for a while, I managed to get them working again. I’m babying these paddles since Palm is no longer in business and parts are unavailable.

After I got on the air, I found that 40M was wide open. I was able to work pretty much any station I could hear. In a little over an hour of operating, I logged 19 contacts — all on 40M CW.

I packed up and headed home to have dinner with my (far) better half, who had been out of town most of the week. I also went to work on my Palm paddles with some contact cleaner.

On Sunday, I headed back to Black Rock to make a few more contacts. This time my paddles worked right off the bat. (Note to self: Hey, Craig! Do some maintenance on your portable keys once in a while, will ya!)

The QSOs came a bit slower this time around. In two hours, I logged 20 contacts on 40M and 20M. I even made some SSB contacts for the extra multipliers. (That’s a fairly rare thing for me.) My best “DX” of the day was California.

When it starting getting tough to find “fresh meat” on the bands, I decided to pack up and head home. It wasn’t the most adventurous Winter Field but it was fun to get out there to make a few contacts.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Winter Field Day 2018

I had every intention of doing something special for Winter Field Day (WFD) this year but Life-in-General got in the way. I hadn’t made any particular plans, so I decided to do a little operating from some local parks.

Day One

I drove out to nearby Upper Schuylkill Valley Park for a few hours on Saturday afternoon and parked in a spot with a nice view of the Schuylkill River. We were experiencing some above average temperatures this weekend (it was 55° F today), so I actually had my window rolled down.

My location at Upper Schuylkill Valley Park for Winter Field Day 2018

I set up my 19-foot vertical in the back of the truck and my KX3 in the cab of the truck just in time for the start of the contest. I operated in the Outdoor category (1O), running QRP CW only.

In just under 2 hours, I logged 21 stations on 40 and 20 meters. Part of that time was spent chatting with a curious passerby. I spent about 10 minutes talking about ham radio with him. After he left, I made a few more contacts before heading home for the evening.

Day Two

What a difference a day makes. On Sunday morning, I operated from Black Rock Sanctuary, just outside Phoenixville. While the temperature was still fairly moderate (47° F), it rained steadily all morning. I had to cover up my antenna components with plastic to keep everything dry.

My vertical antenna wearing its raincoat

The 40M band was in pretty good shape, so I spent most of my time there. I checked 20M once or twice but there was another contest going on and I didn’t hear any Winter Field Day CW activity.

Winter Field Day at Black Rock Sanctuary

After about 1.5 hours, I matched yesterday’s effort with another 21 contacts. I even dragged out the microphone (gasp!) and made 4 SSB contacts. One of the SSB contacts was with WW1USA from the World War I museum in Missouri. He was also giving out WFD exchanges.

WB3GCK hunkered down for Winter Field Day on a rainy Sunday morning

Overall, I worked 42 stations in 24 sections and 21 states. I’m certainly not a threat to win but I’m happy with the results of my meager effort. It was great to hear all the CW activity this year.

I didn’t spend a lot of time on WFD this year but it certainly was fun. Maybe next year I’ll do something more adventurous like Winter camping. We’ll see.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Winter Field Day 2017

Well, there wasn’t much “field” in Winter Field Day (WFD) for me. My XYL and I traveled out to central Pennsylvania for the weekend to babysit our 2-year old grandson. My plan was to sneak out into the backyard for a few hours each day to operate in WFD as category 1O (outdoor). Before the weekend, however, I came down with a wicked cold (courtesy of my other grandson). I decided that operating out in the cold probably wasn’t a good idea.

I strapped my 31-foot Jackite pole to the fence in the backyard and used it to support the far end of my LNR EFT-10/20/40 end-fed halfwave antenna. The feed point was just inside a second story window. I set up my KX3 and operated under battery power. I read over the rules and concluded that I was a “1H” (home) station.

My temporary indoor station for Winter Field Day

After setting up, I had a warm-up QSO on 20M with K0WEW in Kansas. Everything appeared to be working. I operated mostly during nap time (my grandson’s, not mine). With just a couple of hours of actual operating, I ended up with 20 CW Winter Field Day stations in the log. I’m sure I could have logged more if I had plugged in the microphone. I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.

Outside of the contest, I worked TM1A (France) in the REF Contest (on 40 meters, no less). I also had a nice two-way QRP QSO with W4MQC. Alan was operating portable from New Hampshire.

Even though it wasn’t much of a Field Day for me, it wasn’t without some excitement. At one point, all the signals on 40 meters suddenly dropped way down. I looked out the window and saw that the wind caused my Jackite pole to collapse putting half of my antenna on the ground. My halyard line got caught between two sections of the pole when it collapsed. It took me about 30 minutes to get that mess straightened out.

My hat goes off to all the hardy hams who braved the cold for Winter Field Day. Hopefully, next year I’ll get out there, too.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Winter Field Day 2016

My original plan was to get outside or, depending on the weather, operate “stationary-mobile” from my truck for Winter Field Day 2016. However, my XYL and I had a long-standing obligation to head out of town for a weekend of babysitting our grandson. So, “Plan B” was put into effect. I would have to operate in the “Indoor” category and, at least, hand out some points to those braving the elements.

On Saturday morning, I started to set up my portable station at my daughter’s house. I secured the feed point of my LNR EFT-10/20/40 end-fed antenna and tossed the rest of the antenna out of a second story window.

Antenna support for my LNR EFT-10/20/40 EFHW antenna

The next part was a little tricky since there was still more than a foot of snow in the backyard and I neglected to bring boots. Anyway, I trudged through the snow to secure my 31-foot Jackite pole to the fence. I used three velcro cinch straps that I had recently purchased. I used some twine to hoist up the far end of the antenna. It turned out to be mostly horizontal but with a little bit of sag in it. Then, I set up my YouKits HB-1B and my logging computer on the dining room table.

My portable station for Winter Field Day 2016

About 2 hours before the start of Winter Field Day, I fired up my YouKits HB-1B and had a nice 2-way QRP chat with John, W3FSA, up in Maine. So, my slightly sagging antenna wasn’t doing too badly.

In between entertaining my 1-year-old grandson and taking my grand-dog out for walks, I got on the radio. There didn’t seem to be a large number of stations on, so I bounced back and forth between 40 and 20 meters. At the end of the first day, I had worked 22 stations and a few stations not in the contest.

I got on for a bit on Sunday morning but things had really thinned out a lot. I made a few non-contest contacts. It was a while before I heard any WFD activity. I only managed to pick up one new one. Around 10 AM, I packed up and tore down my antenna.

With my 23 contacts, I certainly didn’t set any records. It was, however, a fun event. Hopefully, I can get outdoors next year.

72, Craig WB3GCK