The Winter Field Day 24 and 25 January 2026

 January 24, 2026

The Winter Field Association presents Winter Field Day 2026 on January 24 and 25.

Start: Saturday, January 24 at 4:00 PM UTC.

End: Sunday, January 25 at 9:59 PM UTC.

Participants may operate on the HF bands of 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters and on all bands above 50 MHz.

All participants are requested to submit their log entries by 11:59 AM UTC on March 1. Entries submitted after this deadline may not be considered in the results.

Winter Field Day 2026 is an exciting annual event for amateur radio enthusiasts, taking place on the last full weekend of January.

It offers amateur radio operators – primarily in the United States but also in Europe – a unique opportunity to conduct field operations in remote locations, allowing them to establish radio contact with other participants worldwide.

Amateur radio operators can participate individually or with friends, family, and their entire radio club. Winter Field Day is organized by the Winter Field Day Association. This association believes that amateur radio operators need to practice portable emergency communications in harsh winter conditions. Indeed, frost, snow, ice, and other hazards present unique operational challenges.

The Winter Field Day event aims to help participants improve their disaster preparedness and hone their operational skills in challenging conditions. Amateur radio operators can use HF, VHF, or UHF band frequencies for voice, CW, and digital transmissions. The event sets specific goals to encourage a wide range of activities, including the use of non-commercial power sources, the installation of multiple antennas, satellite contact making, and much more.

Antennas are installed in the snow, stations operate in freezing temperatures, and operators put their skills to the test.

Safety is obviously paramount. Thorough preparation is essential. The organizers offer the following advice: closely monitor the weather forecast, take necessary precautions, and know when it is wise to stow your equipment if conditions become hazardous. However, it is precisely these winter challenges that make Winter Field Day so valuable. After all, those who manage to set up and operate a station in January are better prepared for real-life emergencies.

The organizers recommend that all participants carefully review the event rules. For any questions, please visit the organizers' website. Take advantage of Winter Field Day 2026 to hone your amateur radio skills and take on a new challenge. The Winter Field Day Association thanks all participants in the 2026 edition on its website. They wish them good luck, hope to hear many amateur radio operators on the bands, and say: Stay warm, stay safe, and above all, fully enjoy the true spirit of Winter Field Day.

The Winter Field Day event aims to help participants improve their disaster preparedness and hone their operational skills in challenging conditions. Amateur radio operators can use the HF, VHF, or UHF bands for voice, CW, and digital transmissions. The event sets specific targets to encourage a wide range of activities, including the use of non-commercial power sources, the installation of multiple antennas, satellite contact, and much more. Click here to learn more about the history and objectives of Winter Field Day.

Source: https://winterfieldday.org/index.php#hero

Info from Ronny Plovie ON6CQ and REF 39