How do you choose where to go for Field Day?

A reader just wrote:

There seem to be many [Field Day sites] in the area. Where should I think about attending?  What should I try or plan on doing?

The first thing that you need to do, of course, is find a Field Day site near you. To do that, go to the ARRL Field Day Locator.

Next, if you’re a newcomer to amateur radio—as I believe this person to be—you need to know if they have a “Get on the Air,” or GOTA station. The GOTA station is designed to get new hams and members of the general public on the air and let them make contacts. They are supposed to be manned with coaches that will help you make those contacts.

Here’s the listing for our Field Day operation:

W8UM
ARROW/UMARC Joint Field Day Group
Ann Arbor Municipal Airport
ANN ARBOR, MI
GOTA: YES
Talk-in: 146.36/96 MHz, PL 100 Hz
Contact: Dave New, 734-678-0382, [email protected]
W8PGW.ORG

Note the line, “GOTA: YES.”

The next thing that you might want to do is to visit the club website and see if they have any other information about the event and whether or not they seem like a friendly bunch. I hate to say it, but some clubs are just downright unfriendly to newcomers. I often hear stories from readers who have shown up at a club’s Field Day site and gotten the cold shoulder.

One way to avoid getting the cold shoulder is by arriving early on Saturday and offering to help set up or stay late on Sunday and offer to help tear down. Help like that is generally appreciated.

As far as what a newcomer should try, definitely operate the GOTA station. If it’s busy during the day on Saturday, come back later that night or early Sunday morning.

Look to see what other operating activities the club might be doing to get extra points. For example, clubs get extra points for passing traffic to the section manager and making a satellite contact. You don’t necessarily have to do these things yourself, but you can learn from those who are attempting to do them.

One thing that just occurred to me is to copy the W1AW bulletin and show up with the copy. That’s good for 100 points and should endear you to the Field Day organizers. It’s something that often gets overlooked, and you can do this before you arrive at the site. Check out the schedule here.

That’s what I’ve come up with in the last 15 minutes. What else should my friend try or plan on doing?