Winter Field Day Was Canceled—Emergency Comms Weren’t

 

Winter Field Day was ultimately overshadowed by a real-world winter storm here in Tennessee this past weekend. Out of an abundance of caution, the club made the decision on Friday to cancel our WFD plans, as did many other clubs in the area. It’s never an easy call, but member safety always comes first. Snow alone is one thing—but ice is a completely different ballgame. 

Saturday morning started off quietly, as precipitation had not yet begun to fall. By 1100, however, we had accumulated just over an inch of snow on the ground—more than enough to cause problems for us southerners. By 1300, sleet and freezing rain moved in, significantly worsening conditions.

I spent most of the day monitoring GMRS, Meshtastic, and the statewide weather net on the linked amateur repeaters. From there, critical information was entered into the APRS system using YAAC, helping provide situational awareness for anyone monitoring the network. Reports included multiple vehicle accidents, trees blocking roadways, and storm warnings and updates from the National Weather Service. 

By Sunday morning, widespread power outages were evident. While we were fortunate to keep power, more than 200,000 residents in an adjacent county were without electricity and scrambling to find alternate heat sources.

We’re still in the middle of this polar plunge, but hopefully a thaw is not far off. This weekend served as yet another real-world example of how APRS can be an effective tool during emergency events, helping keep operators informed when it matters most.

🛒 Perfect this time of year https://amzn.to/4bSQqKL

Time's Running Out

 Winter Field Day is this coming weekend—a 30-hour event focused on emergency communications. That means no WSJT-X style modes; they simply aren’t effective for passing emergency traffic. This weekend is about modes that handle longer, meaningful messages, whether by voice or data. Expect JS8Call to be very active, and don’t overlook Winlink. Sending a Winlink message can earn you a valuable multiplier. You can even use Winlink to spot yourself, provided the message leaves your site over amateur RF.

There are a few notable rule changes this year, so I strongly encourage everyone to read the rules carefully. A recent clarification is especially important: aside from the Winlink multiplier, all Winlink messages must be peer-to-peer (P2P) to count. The same requirement applies to APRS traffic. That said, if you think I won’t be running APRS anyway… you clearly don’t know me very well.

This is your final call to action—start prepping your gear now. That repair you’ve been putting off? It’s time. Double-check everything, test your setup, and make sure those batteries are fully charged. If you want to practice Winlink during the event but don’t have a sparring partner, feel free to send me a message and I’ll do my best to respond. Even if it doesn’t count as a QSO, it’s still excellent practice.

🛒 The final piece of the puzzle https://amzn.to/3LOAyOU

The Hidden Cost of "Budget" Radios

 If you watched last Tuesday’s video on the new Retevis HA2, then you already know I gave it a thumbs down as an APRS radio. While I’m glad to see Chinese manufacturers starting to add APRS support to their radios, it needs to be done correctly. Simply beaconing a position report doesn’t make a radio “APRS capable.” APRS is far more than just position reporting—a point I’ve tried to drive home in multiple videos and even in an article I wrote last fall.

When APRS is implemented properly—by both manufacturers and operators—it can provide real, situational awareness by alerting others to what’s happening in your area of operation. But for that to work, radios need to support the full feature set APRS was designed around. Half-implemented or stripped-down versions don’t just limit functionality; they undermine the entire purpose of APRS.

What’s even more frustrating is the confusion this creates for newcomers. If I were a new ham and saw one radio priced at $94 and another at $700, both labeled “APRS,” I’d have no idea why there’s such a massive price difference. Most people would understandably choose the cheaper option, only to discover later that it supports only the bare minimum APRS features.

On the flip side, radios like the BTECH UV-Pro have been a real game changer. While it still doesn’t offer everything APRS can do, it gets about 80% of the way there. More importantly, it includes a Bluetooth-accessible TNC, allowing the radio to connect to a phone or laptop running far more capable APRS software. And it does all of this at a sub-$200 price point.

Maybe that’s the real answer for these lower-cost radios. Instead of adding crippled APRS feature sets, manufacturers should focus on providing Bluetooth TNC access. Let the heavy lifting be done by a more capable external device. Anyone who has tried sending an APRS message directly from an HT knows how painful that experience can be—regardless of the radio.

When Technology Fails, This Skill Still Matters

 

I can’t count the number of miles I’ve logged on trails over the years, hiking and climbing wherever the path led. The photos above are circa 2002—one taken near the peak of Mount Washington during a brutal snow and wind storm, the other on a calm, peaceful fall day in Tennessee. Two very different moments, both etched into my memory. Over the past two months, I’ve found my way back to the trail, and I’ve been reminded just how much I missed it. I’ve also been struck by how dramatically technology has changed over the last 25 years. Today, navigation can live on your wrist in the form of a watch—but what happens when the battery dies? At that point, you need the fundamental skills: knowing how to read a map and use a compass. That’s where simple, old-school tools still shine. When working with traditional topo maps, having the right gear makes a real difference. One recent addition to my pack is The Tech Prepper’s land navigation kit. It’s American-made and does a great job of keeping essential navigation tools organized. After using it consistently over the past couple of months, it’s earned a permanent place in my pack. It’s not for everyone, but if you value quality and preparedness, it’s worth a look. Last week, I wrote about goals for 2026. One of my personal goals is to spend more time on the trail. Some days that will mean carrying a camera and a radio. Other days, the radio will stay in my pack—powered off unless needed—so I can fully disconnect and simply enjoy being outdoors again.