Field Day 2025
The Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club (MVARC) invites the public to join its annual participation in ARRL Field Day, the largest on-air amateur radio event in the U.S., from 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28 to 2p.m. Sunday, June 29 at the George Washington Rec Center (8426 Old Mount Vernon Rd, Alexandria, VA 22309).
Hosted nationwide by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Field Day is both a competitive exercise and a public demonstration of emergency communication capabilities. Each June, more than 40,000 amateur radio operators—or “hams”—set up temporary stations in parks, schools, and public spaces to showcase ham radio’s ability to function without cellular networks or the internet.
“Field Day is a fantastic opportunity for our members, especially new hams, to sharpen their skills and gain hands-on experience,” says Corey Law, MVARC President. “Our mission is to build lasting technical skills within our club and provide valuable public service. This event brings that to life.”
“Setting up radios in the field teaches us how to communicate when traditional systems fail,” MVARC Treasurer Ed Cabic adds. “Plus, it’s just fun—there’s something uniquely satisfying about making contacts across the country with only a radio and a wire.”
The public is encouraged to visit the site between 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday to meet local operators, learn about amateur radio, and try the equipment firsthand. Club members will offer demonstrations, answer questions, and explain how ham radio plays a critical role in community emergency response.
Throughout the weekend, MVARC will post updates and photos on its Facebook page at facebook.com/MountVernonARC.
For over a century, amateur radio has empowered individuals to explore electronics and serve their communities by providing backup communication during emergencies. Today, more than 750,000 people in the U.S. hold active licenses. MVARC supports new operators with fellowship and mentorship in the Northern Virginia area.
Event At A Glance
What: ARRL Field Day, hosted by Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club
Public Welcome: Saturday, June 24, 2 p.m. – Sunday, June 25, 2 p.m.
Where: Field next to George Washington Rec Center
8426 Old Mount Vernon Rd, Alexandria, VA 22309
Info: mvarc.org | facebook.com/MountVernonARC
About Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club
The Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club (MVARC) promotes amateur radio through education, hands-on training, and public service. Based in Northern Virginia, the club supports emergency preparedness efforts and fosters community engagement through technical outreach and volunteerism.
June Club Breakfast
Join us for breakfast on Saturday, 28 June at 8 a.m. at IHOP (Mount Vernon Plaza) 7694 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22306.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
April Saturday Club Meeting
Location: Mount Vernon Governmental Center, 2511 Parker Lane, Alexandria, VA, 22309, Room 119
Topic: Andy K1RA, will be discussing "Multi-band, Multi-Mode Digital Decoding and Reporting Using SDRs". Andy runs one of the biggest SDR based listening stations in our area, reporting data to the Reverse Beacon Network and providing web-based Software Defined Radios as a service to the community.
This is a hybrid meeting. Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the meeting link.
April Club Breakfast
Join us for breakfast on Saturday, 26 April at 8 a.m. at IHOP (Mount Vernon Plaza) 7694 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22306.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
April Business Meeting & Officers Elections
The April business meeting will be held on Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. It will be a VIRTUAL meeting. The short business meeting will include our annual officers election and will be followed by our weekly informal meet up for those who stick around.
Please email social@mvarc.org to obtain the virtual meeting link.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
MARCH Saturday Club Meeting
Location: Mount Vernon Governmental Center, 2511 Parker Lane, Alexandria, VA, 22309, Room 119
Topic: Ed, N2EC, will present on Battery Power for Portable Operations. He’ll cover different battery chemistries and how to choose what is right for you, how to size a battery system for the operation you're looking to execute, and various options available both from an off-the-shelf perspective and DIY. Since we're getting into the pleasant weather months, this might be useful for folks wanting to get out in the field and also for those who want to get a better handle of the options available on the market today.
This is a hybrid meeting. Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the meeting link.
March Club Breakfast
Join us for breakfast on Saturday, 22 March at 8 a.m. at IHOP (Mount Vernon Plaza) 7694 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22306.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
March Business Meeting
The March business meeting will be held on Thursday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. It will be a VIRTUAL meeting. The short business meeting will be followed by our weekly informal meet up for those who stick around.
Please email social@mvarc.org to obtain the virtual meeting link.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
February Saturday Club Meeting
Location: Mount Vernon Governmental Center, 2511 Parker Lane, Alexandria, VA, 22309, Room 119
Topic: Gordon Miller, NQ4K, and SPARC president, is will be giving a virtual presentation about the Virginia QSO Party.
This is a hybrid meeting. Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the meeting link.
FEBRUARY Club Breakfast
Join us for breakfast on Saturday, 22 February at 8 a.m. at IHOP (Mount Vernon Plaza) 7694 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22306.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
George Washington's Birthday Special Event Station
Help us celebrate our first president's birthday. Our annual George Washington Special Event will take place on Feb. 15 (Sat) & 16 (Sun), 2025. The event will be in the greenhouse of the Mount Vernon Estate.
This free event is open to the public, especially those interested in the art of Ham radio! Stop by if you want to learn more about radios and we'll even let you get on the air and talk to people from around the world!
Email social@mvarc.org if you're interested in coming so we can provide details.
Details:
On Saturday: MVARC members will first arrive about 8:30AM to set up stations. The stations will likely be operational by 10AM. Anyone and everyone will be permitted to get on the air, as we will use the club’s call, K4US. We would love to put little kids on the air too! On Saturday, we will operate until about 3PM (as we must be off grounds by 4PM). For a variety of reasons, Saturday is the BEST day for newbies and guests to sample ham radio! The club will leave the antennas up overnight for the next day.
On Sunday: A few members will straggle in about 8:30AM to make a few more contacts. Likely, members will start to take down stations about 11AM.
Looking for a QSL card?
Send a SASE to: K4US, PO BOX 7234, Alexandria, VA 22307.
February Business Meeting
The February business meeting will be held on Thursday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. It will be a VIRTUAL meeting. The short business meeting will be followed by our weekly informal meet up for those who stick around.
Please email social@mvarc.org to obtain the virtual meeting link.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
January Saturday Club Meeting
Location: Mount Vernon Governmental Center, 2511 Parker Lane, Alexandria, VA, 22309, Room 119
Topic: Tom K1FR will be giving us a fascinating presentation on his involvement in the HamSCI 2024 Solar Eclipse TDOA Event. The event sought to understand how the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 influenced changes in the ionosphere. Tom was part of the team that worked to measure the TDOA (time difference of arrival) of signals sent from known locations to measure ionospheric changes during the eclipse.
HamSCI is an organization led by the University of Scranton Department of Physics and Engineering (W3USR) in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University (W8EDU), the University of Alabama, the New Jersey Institute of Technology Center for Solar Terrestrial Physics (K2MFF), the MIT Haystack Observatory, and TAPR, among other organizations. They are supported by the US National Science Foundation, NASA, and Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC). They're focused on Amateur Radio citizen science investigation and there are many ways you can get involved to use Amateur Radio to better understand our world.
January Club Breakfast
Join us for breakfast on Saturday, 25 January at 8 a.m. at IHOP (Mount Vernon Plaza) 7694 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22306.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.
January Business Meeting
The January business meeting will be held on Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. It will be a VIRTUAL meeting. The short business meeting will be followed by our weekly informal meet up for those who stick around.
Please email social@mvarc.org to obtain the virtual meeting link.
VIRTUAL MEET UP
Join MVARC for an informal virtual meet up. No Ham radio topics are off-limits.
Members, check the reflector for an email with the Google Meet link.
Not a member? Email social@mvarc.org to obtain the link to join us.