📻 DBARA Field Day 2026 – What a Weekend! 🇺🇸

Another successful ARRL Field Day is in the books, and I couldn’t be more proud of the members of the Daytona Beach Amateur Radio Association (DBARA)!

Our journey began back in May when we met with Holly Hill City Manager Joseph Forte to receive permission to once again hold our annual Field Day event at beautiful Sunrise Park. As always, Field Day takes place on the last full weekend in June, and the park was the perfect setting to showcase amateur radio to our community.

Club members safely set up operating stations throughout the park, featuring an impressive 24-foot slot antenna and a 40-foot USAF military vertical. It was exciting to watch these stations come to life as operators made contacts across North America and beyond.

The food was outstanding! A delicious Publix lunch included turkey wraps, kabobs, and a fresh veggie platter. Gary and Chrissy kept everyone smiling with a fantastic cookie party platter that seemed to disappear all weekend long! Saturday evening featured freshly grilled hot dogs, and Sunday morning wrapped things up with a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon.

One of the highlights of the weekend was welcoming a local Boy Scout troop. They stopped by for a meet-and-greet, learned about amateur radio, and even made several on-the-air contacts as they worked toward earning their Radio Communication Merit Badge.

We were also pleased to welcome visits from the Holly Hill Police Department and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, who checked in to see how things were going. It was a great opportunity to show off our official Volusia County Field Day Proclamation and share what amateur radio is all about.

Band conditions on Saturday were less than ideal, but as every ham knows, patience pays off. Sunday morning brought much better propagation, allowing operators to put many more contacts in the log.

Throughout the weekend we met potential new members, welcomed curious park visitors, and enjoyed introducing people to the fascinating world of amateur radio. Our life-sized astronaut cutout at the GOTA station became a favorite photo spot for kids and adults alike!

Our digital operators were busy all weekend efficiently adding valuable points, while our CW operators also contributed impressive contacts to the overall score. Every operating mode played an important role in the success of this year’s event.

Most importantly, Field Day reminded us that amateur radio is about much more than making contacts. It’s about friendship, public service, emergency preparedness, education, and sharing a hobby we all love.

A heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to every DBARA member, family member, volunteer, and visitor who helped make Field Day 2026 such an outstanding success. We couldn’t have done it without you!

See you next year!

73,
Clint Hayworth, KR4MVP
Field Day Chairman
Daytona Beach Amateur Radio Association (DBARA)

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