MARC-WINTER-FIELD-DAY-2025-v1.0

Florida Snow, Ham Radio, and Community
Milton Amateur Radio Club Winter Field Day 2025 Highlights

What an absolutely unforgettable Winter Field Day weekend!

Who could have imagined kicking off Winter Field Day with snow on the ground—in Florida, no less?

But that’s exactly how our weekend began.

Friday Afternoon Setup

The festivities started Friday afternoon, with Hal (WA5HC) arriving first to set up our new club radio, generously donated by the wife of a Silent Key. (More details about this thoughtful gift coming soon!)

Hal also installed a tuned antenna, ensuring the general public and visiting ham operators had a fully operational station to enjoy.

Meanwhile, James (K9JHR), MARC’s Royal Chef Supreme, was en route with all the food, cooking gear, and his incredible ham shack on wheels.

Unfortunately, his Jeep broke down halfway to the event. One quick call to our Vice President, Houston (K2TAP), and a rescue mission was underway.

Houston didn’t just get James back on the road—he ensured that the all-important food and ham shack arrived safely too. Talk about teamwork!

The Arrivals and Antenna Adventures

Charlie (KN4VGY) rolled in next, driving a U-Haul box truck towing his new shack on wheels. (It hasn’t been a great season for MARC members and their personal vehicles!)

True to form, Charlie dedicated hours—and I mean hours—to setting up and tuning antennas.

While I may exaggerate for comedic effect, the effort he puts into perfecting his setup is no joke.

Once his station was dialed in, Charlie spent much of his time mentoring both new and seasoned hams, as he always does.

Enter the “Digi-Kids,” Robert (K4CDM) and Caleb (K4PHP), who arrived with their rig ready for serious contesting.

Without their tireless dedication, we’d have been lucky to log double-digit contacts.

 These two stayed up late into the night, logging over 200 contacts and making a huge contribution to our club’s success.

Blevin (KQ4UJN) and Mike (KQ4WPN) brought their energy and enthusiasm to the event as well.

Blevin, who earned his first license at one of our past Field Day events, arrived with his impressive Toyota Tundra-turned-ham shack.

Mike celebrated his upgrade to General during the weekend—congratulations, Mike! 

The pair camped out with the rest of us diehard hams, making contacts day and night.

A New Addition: Club Tents

Our new club 10×20 event tents arrived just hours before Field Day was about to begin, and with the help of a few hardy folks, we were able to get them set up for all to enjoy. 

We tested in them, ate lunch in them, and even stayed up late swapping stories (and maybe a few tall tales). 

These tents are a fantastic addition to MARC’s inventory, helping make our events even more special. 

They provided shelter, comfort, and a great communal space for all attendees.

Extreme Weather and Camping Adventures

The snow may have moved on, but the temperature range was absolutely wild.

Overnight lows dropped to 23 degrees, while daytime highs reached into the 60s.

This drastic swing made camping an unforgettable—and occasionally challenging—experience, but it added to the adventure and camaraderie of the weekend.

Special Guests and Milestones

We were thrilled to welcome two deputies from the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office, who recently earned their amateur radio licenses.

They stopped by to talk shop—and maybe, just maybe, to check for something “illegal” in James’s Ham Shack on Wheels (purely out of curiosity, of course).

Although their hopes of confiscation were dashed, it was clear they were thoroughly impressed.

Charlie (KN4VGY) and James (K9JHR) were The Wire Rascals Net Control from MARC’s Winter Field Day in James’s Shack-in-a-Box on Wheels.

A heartfelt thank-you goes to our Winter Field Day VE team: Charlie (KN4VGY), Hal (WA5HC), and Steve (W4XSP), who graciously provided testing during Winter Field Day 2025. Their efforts efforts and dedication are appreciated.

Family, Fun, and Firsts

The event saw an incredible turnout, with new hams, seasoned operators, and curious visitors from all across the Florida Panhandle.

Families joined in the fun—husbands and wives, fathers and daughters, grandfathers and grandsons—all bonding over the shared joy of amateur radio.

We even managed to sneak in a few games cornhole and a once-in-a-lifetime snowball fight with visiting youth.

Snowball fights at a Florida Winter Field Day?

That’s a memory we’ll cherish forever.

Looking Ahead

As we wrap up this amazing weekend, we’re already looking forward to more great events this year.

Summer Field Day and POTA camping weekends are on the horizon, so stay tuned to our website, MiltonARC.org, and our Facebook Group for updates.

Remember we conduct our monthly meeting the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7pm, plus we test before each of the meeting at 5:30pm. 

Thank you to everyone who participated, visited, and helped make this event a success.

It takes every member working together to create such a thriving, supportive club.

The Milton Amateur Radio Club truly is something special.

73,

Paul – K7PCS

President

Milton Amateur Radio Club