Summer Field Day

This year’s Summer Field Day was an incredible success for the Skywide Amateur Radio Club! For 2026, we focused our efforts into a single, action-packed Saturday operation on June 27th under the VE3SKY callsign.

Because Field Day fell so closely to the Canada Day long weekend, operating for a single day at Colonel Sam Smith Park in Toronto was the perfect logistical choice. We enjoyed gorgeous blue skies, comfortable temperatures, and a fantastic turnout with over 20 club members and guests in attendance.

Operating 100% Off-the-Grid

This year, we operated as a 4A station. That means we ran four independent 100-watt transmitters powered entirely by high-capacity batteries and solar panels—with zero reliance on grid power or noisy gas generators. It was a fantastic test of our emergency and alternative power capabilities.

Our members deployed a versatile antenna farm that included:

• An Aero J-pole on a collapsible mast for local 2m/70cm communications.

• A high-hanging G5RV dipole hoisted high into the trees, which proved exceptionally effective for HF.

• Several tunable vertical antennas (including Cheligan models) with carefully laid ground radials optimized for 20m, 40m, and higher frequency bands.

Highlights on the Air

Band conditions were highly cooperative, allowing operators to make contacts across Single Sideband (SSB) voice, CW, and FT8 digital modes. One of our HF stations alone logged well over 100 contacts!

A major highlight of the site was Jeff’s custom “ham shack in a wagon.” His 100-pound, homebrew aluminum go-kit took over 85 hours to build and featured 50 amp-hours of battery power, cooling fans, analog gauges, and a built-in telescopic mast. It made its maiden voyage a resounding success, easily pulling in cross-border contacts on 10 meters.

Astronomy, Learning, and Community

Field Day is about more than just logging points—it’s about learning, testing equipment, and sharing our hobby.

Alongside the operator tents and our Get-On-The-Air (GOTA) station for the general public, Gary set up a spotting scope with a solar filter. Members and visitors got a chance to safely view massive, Earth-facing sunspots on the solar surface while discussing how coronal mass ejections impact the ionosphere and our radio signals.

Whether navigating large pile-ups, learning to run counterpoise lines, or simply enjoying the food and camaraderie under the canopies, operators of all skill levels gained hands-on experience in a relaxed, supportive environment.

A massive thank you to everyone who provided equipment and the volunteers who helped with setup and teardown. It was a stellar event, and we look forward to doing it all again next year!