Winter Field Day 2025 is happening this weekend, from Saturday, January 25th, to Sunday, January 26th. As one of the biggest ham radio events of the year, this year’s event features some major updates that will enhance your experience.
Whether you’re a seasoned ham operator or brand new to contesting, this guide will help you understand how to participate, log your contacts, and stay informed about the latest changes. We’ll also introduce an exciting new contest logbook and live scoring system from World Radio League, unlike anything seen before in ham radio contesting.
What Is Winter Field Day?
Winter Field Day is not just a contest; it’s a practical field exercise aimed at improving participants’ emergency communication skills, particularly in harsh winter conditions. While logging contacts and scoring points is part of the event, the main goal is to enhance preparedness for disaster scenarios.
The event emphasizes portable operations, making it an excellent opportunity to set up a remote station similar to a POTA activation. You can participate solo or with a local club.
To find a participating club, visit WorldRadioLeague.com and check the Participant Map to connect with other operators nearby. You can also visit WinterFieldDay.org to find clubs and review official rules and log submission procedures.
Can’t operate remotely? No problem! There is a home operation category, so you can participate from the comfort of your own shack.
Winter Field Day Rules Overview
Winter Field Day runs for 30 hours, starting 1600 UTC on Saturday, January 25th, and ending at 2159 UTC on Sunday, January 26th. In Eastern Standard Time (EST), this translates to 11 AM EST Saturday to 4:59 PM EST Sunday.
Operating Bands
You can operate on any band except HF bands 12, 17, 30, and 60 meters. Popular bands include:
- HF: 10m, 20m, 40m, 80m
- VHF/UHF: 2m and 70cm
Operating Modes
Winter Field Day supports a variety of modes, including:
- Voice: FM, SSB
- CW
- Digital: PSK, RTTY, Olivia, SSTV, JS8, and more
Each voice contact earns 1 QSO point, while CW and digital contacts earn 2 QSO points. However, FT4 and FT8 do not count for Winter Field Day.
Power Limit: The maximum power allowed is 100 watts PEP, and repeater contacts are not allowed.
Logging Your Contacts
Logging is a crucial part of Winter Field Day, and this year introduces the new Winter Field Day Logger by World Radio League.
Contest Exchange
Your contest exchange consists of two parts:
- Class: Represents the number of transmitters and your operating environment.
H
– Home StationI
– Indoor Station (e.g., cabin, community center)O
– Outdoor Station (e.g., tent, park pavilion)M
– Mobile Station (e.g., car, RV, sailboat)
Example: Operating from home with one transmitter would be “1H.”
- Section: Your ARRL/RAC section, typically your state or region.
Example exchange:
N0WRL: "CQ Winter Field Day, this is N0WRL."
N0APX: "N0APX."
N0WRL: "N0APX, this is N0WRL, 1H in GA."
N0APX: "QSL, this is N0APX, 1H in MO."
N0WRL: "Thanks for the contact. QRZ."
World Radio League Logger
To log contacts with the World Radio League logger, follow these steps:
- Enroll in the contest at WorldRadioLeague.com.
- Update your exchange settings.
- Log contacts directly on the website or through the mobile app (Android/iOS).
If you don’t have internet access, the mobile app allows offline logging, which can be synced later.
Club Logging
For club operations, create a club account on World Radio League and share credentials with team members. This enables collaborative logging from multiple devices.
Winter Field Day Objectives
Winter Field Day offers 11 objectives that serve as score multipliers. These include:
Track objectives and mark them as completed on the World Radio League platform.
Live Scoring and Event Features
World Radio League introduces live scoring, a real-time event map, and a livestream. You’ll be able to:
- Track your contacts and scores on a dynamic map
- View statistics of other participants
- Engage with the community via live chat
Submitting Your Logs
Once Winter Field Day is over, export your ADIF file from World Radio League and submit it at WinterFieldDay.org for official scoring.
Preparation Checklist
- Sign up at WorldRadioLeague.com.
- Download the mobile app for offline logging.
- Test log contacts before the event and delete them to get familiar with the interface.
- Create a club account if participating with a group.
Thank You to Organizers and Supporters
A huge shoutout to Marvin W0MET, the president of Winter Field Day, for his efforts in making this year’s event a success. Thanks also to Mikel W4OPS and all the World Radio League Founding Members for their support in driving innovation in ham radio contesting.
Join us for Winter Field Day 2025 and take your ham radio skills to the next level. Whether you’re participating solo or with a club, it’s an excellent opportunity to enhance your emergency communication skills and connect with fellow operators worldwide.
Visit WorldRadioLeague.com and sign up today!
73 and see you on the air!