RAM Winter Field Day 2026

Radio Amateurs of Manitoba will be hosting a Winter Field Day operating event on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at the Winnipeg Senior Citizens Radio Club clubhouse, pending VE4WSC Board approval for use of the space and equipment. All RAM and VE4WSC members are invited to attend and participate.

Event Details

• 📅 Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026
• 🕒 Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM CST (16:00 - 22:00 UTC)

📍 Location:
VE4WSC Clubhouse (Old Firehall)
598 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba
View on Google Maps

What is Winter Field Day?

Winter Field Day is an emergency communications exercise rather than a contest. The focus is on operating discipline, flexibility, and the ability to pass meaningful information under realistic constraints. Our intent is to operate fully in that spirit throughout the day.

Winter Field Day is organized by the Winter Field Day Association and is not an ARRL Field Day event, so there are some minor differences from standard ARRL Field Day rules. Participants are encouraged to review the official 2026 rules.

Our Operating Parameters

• Callsign: VE4BB
• Exchange: 3I MB (3 transmitters, Indoor, Manitoba)
• Category Number: Three-transmitter
• Class Identifier: Indoor
• Location Identifier: Manitoba
• Power Level: Maximum 100 watts PEP
• Satellite Station: May be active (does not count toward transmitter category)

Schedule

Morning (10:00-12:00): More relaxed pace focusing on:

• Station setup
• Instruction and mentoring
• Experimentation with digital and satellite stations

Afternoon (12:00-16:00): Increased focus on:

• Contact volume
• Established station operations

Food & Logistics

A light lunch will be provided during the event, including pizza, sandwiches, and possibly chili. Please indicate on the RSVP form if you can help with lunch setup and teardown.

Operator Needs

We are particularly interested in operators with experience or interest in:

• CW operation
• Digital modes: PSK, RTTY, Olivia, Packet, SSTV, ATV, and JS8Call
• Satellite operation: FM and SSB/CW contacts
• Winlink: Send and receive at least one email

Station Captains Needed

We are looking for licensed operators willing to act as station captains or supervisors to:

• Demonstrate proper techniques
• Mentor newer participants
• Ensure safe and compliant operation

This is especially important as newer and unlicensed participants may be present.

Our Operating Objectives

We plan to pursue the following objectives from the official rulebook:

• Deploy and make at least one contact on multiple antennas: Deploy two or more antennas during the WFD set-up time or event and make at least one contact on each (OM x1)
• Make an FM satellite contact: Make at least one FM satellite contact during the operating period (OM x2)
• Make a SSB or CW satellite contact: Complete at least one contact using SSB or CW on satellite (OM x3)
• Send and receive at least one Winlink email: Successfully send and receive at least one email from a winlink.org email address via amateur RF (OM x1)
• Copy the Winter Field Day Special Bulletin: Accurately copy the WFD Special Bulletin message and submit with our log (OM x1)
• Make three contacts on at least six (6) different bands: Log operations on at least six different bands by making a minimum of three contacts per band (OM x6)
• Use multiple modes: Increase versatility by using multiple modes during the event, such as Phone and CW, CW and Digital, or Phone and Digital (OM x2)
• Operate six continuous hours during the event: Maintain continuous operations throughout our 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM operating window (OM x2)

We will deliberately target JS8Call QSOs as part of our digital operations. Note that satellite QSOs provide important multipliers even though they don’t count toward QSO totals.

Can’t Attend in Person?

Members who cannot attend in person are encouraged to work us over the air!

• We will be operating as VE4BB
• Our exchange will be: 3I MB
• Non-repeater contacts are required for scoring
• Even local 2m or 70cm simplex contacts count
• We will monitor the RAM repeater network for coordination and spotting

RSVP & More Information

Please RSVP using our online form to help us estimate attendance and identify operator skills.

Questions? Contact Andrew, VE4KL at andrew@ve4kl.ca

Official Rules: 2026 Winter Field Day Rules (PDF)

We look forward to seeing you there! 📻