Sooner than you think, Field Day will be here in the United States. That great weekend filled with signals on the air, setting up the stations, having the barbeques and breakfast -- all shared with mosquitoes.

If you're going to be working Field Day as a club, a lot of the planning should already be done and much already executed. Location determined, permits acquired, stations planned, station captains chosen, and an equipment list all drawn up.

But, is Field Day a contest? Or a social event? A public service demonstration? Or none of the above?

When I was back in Wisconsin, the Four Lakes Amateur Radio Club went big-time on Field Day putting ourselves in the category of 9A. Yup, nine stations on the air, fully manned, generators humming, and grills cooking. Assignments to maximize extra credit Field Day points from satellite, publicity, and old-time Novice tents assigned. It was a lot of work.

But a lot of people and clubs don't do something that big (it really is a tremendous number of stations...). Instead, they focus on 1A or 2A where the number of stations is more manageable, but the competition more fierce.

What are you and/or your club going to be doing this year for Field Day? Let us know in the comments and see if we can finally resolve if Field Day is a contest or a social gathering...!

Scot, K9JY