Winter Field Day

Q: How do I change my location on the map?
A: When you registered your location on the map, you received an email from webmaster@winterfieldday.org. The subject line was [WFDA] Location Submission. The last line of the email says click here to edit your entry. You can change or modify any field from your original registration using that link.

Q: Why isn't FT8 allowed for WFD?
A: We set our objectives around ensuring that WFD remains an exercise in emergency communications. Though we recognize FT8 (and similar modes like FT4, JT9, etc.) is a legitimate digital mode, it cannot pass emergency traffic effectively. WFD is not about how many contacts you make or the points at the end of the day. It's about whether or not you can successfully relay emergency information back and forth in adverse conditions. That single concept, along with our core principles, is what we use to develop the objectives and guidelines for the WFD event. While many people enjoy FT8, and it may help improve your digital skills, we encourage you to use those skills to practice passing information back and forth using other digital methods during WFD.

Q: What do I do if I discover an error after I submit my log?
A: When you submit your log, you will receive a confirmation email. If you find an error after submitting your log, return to the submission page and resubmit a new log. The new log will overwrite the old one. You can only change your log until 11:59 UTC on March 1st. We shut down the submission page at that point, and all logs become final.

Q: What category should I use?
A: Which category you use is very discretionary. You will not receive any penalties if you use the wrong category. Follow the general guidelines in the rules while keeping in mind the spirit of the event. WFD is about pushing yourself to new limits. Suppose you are operating in a communications trailer. In that case, that might be considered Mobile, but if you are within walking distance of a club member's house. You have all the conveniences of home, like nearby heat, running water, appliances to heat up chili, or a couch to chill on during your downtime; you really should not consider yourself an Outdoor or Mobile station. That same communications trailer could be just as quickly parked in a parking lot somewhere, and now you have more obstacles to overcome.

Q: I could not hear the Winter Field Day Bulletin. Can I contact another station and request that they send the bulletin to me?
A: Yes, as long as you receive the bulletin entirely over amateur RF.

Q: I know nothing about digital modes. How do I decode the Winter Field Day Bulletin?
A: One of our board members wrote an informative guide on how to install and configure fldigi to decode Olivia transmissions for Winter Field Day: https://jcar.us/olivia

Q: Can individual ops, using their own call signs from other locations, aggregate their score to the club, as in the ARRL Field Day?
A: No. Our rules forbid this for two reasons: 1. The log you submit must be for only one call sign, and it must be the one you used during the event. 2. Everyone using the same call sign must have all equipment and operators in the same 300m radius.

Q: How does my club go about running a GOTA station?
A: GOTA is an ARRL Field Day activity. We always encourage groups of hams to get new and inexperienced folks on the air, but we do not have a formal process for that. Anyone can set up an additional station that uses the same call sign as the rest of the site and have it be the "GOTA" station on its own band-mode combination. That is in keeping with our rules and limits the potential for dupes.