During the 2022 ARRL Field Day event, nearly 30,000 individuals participated making over 1.2 million contacts.  With a setup in the Tyndall Park the Prairie Dog team with 17 participants cranked out 3,130 contacts using 3 portable setups including CW (morse code), phone (voice), and digital running on generator power.  Scoring 12,328 points the team placed number 3 in the nation in Class 3A.  There were 1029 entries in that class with the Prairie Dogs following teams from Indiana and Georgia.   PDARC led South Dakota and the Dakota Division.

Arliss Thompson (W7XU) working the CW station at Field Day 2022.

Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

PDAC will be back again this year to the Tyndall Park in Tyndall, SD for Field Day 2022.   If you would like to check out amateur radio we will put you on the air and let you give it a try at our Get On The Air station.   Or, if you are a licensed amateur we would be happy to have you join us at the CW, phone, or digital station.   We setup some serious equipment but we like to relax and have fun during the 24 hour event.   Operating hours are from noon Saturday until noon on Sunday.

PDARC generally scores quite well on a national basis.  The results from 2021 are as follows:

#13 overall, all classes – 5,878 entries

#6 in 3A overall – 253 entries

#1 overall, Dakota Division – 138 entries

#1 overall, South Dakota – 12 entries