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Welcome to the Western Tidewater
Radio Association
Serving Amateur Radio in Isle of Wight, Surry, and Southampton Counties

Last Website Update - June 6, 2025

WTra arrl field day

June 28 -29, 2025
1800 UTC Saturday through 2059 UTC Sunday.

2025 ARRL Field Day:
FAQ with the Contest Program Manager

The days are longer, the weather is warmer, the calendar will say “June” on Sunday. That means we are in the countdown to 2025 ARRL Field Day! There’s a lot of excitement building around the theme of “Radio Connects” and hams across North America are preparing for the big weekend of June 28 – 29.

In their efforts to prepare for the activations, many radio amateurs are researching the finer points of Field Day rules. All the information is available on the ARRL Field Day website at www.arrl.org/FieldDay.

Q: I’m interested in participating in Field Day for the first time this year. How can I find a club near me that’s hosting Field Day so that I can join in on the fun?

A: You can search for nearby Field Day sites with the Field Day Site Locator at www.arrl.org/field-day-locator. The tool provides locations, talk-in frequencies, and contact information for sites located throughout the Unites States and Canada.

The Annual Thirteen colonies
Special event

July 1, 2025-1300 UTC to July 8, 2025-0400 UTC

The 13 Colonies Special Event is an event honoring the original thirteen colony states, our independence, and our active military and veterans. This year's event honors Ken Villone (KU2US) who created the 13 Colonies Special Event in 2009.

Visit the 13 Colonies website for full and up-to-date information.

why wait? Make contact!

A very interesting event happened to me recently. I was scanning around the HF bands one weekend during the afternoon and I was surprised at how little activity there was. My waterfall display confirmed that, except for some sporadic activity on the digital frequencies, the bands were dead! Or so I wrongfully assumed.

I tuned to 20 meter phone, checked that the frequency was clear, and called CQ. Instantly I was met with a reply. We exchanged the typical pleasantries, had a nice conversation, and I moved on. Before I even started to call CQ again I got another contact, and then another, and another. A mini pile-up. Dead band? Definitely not!

I took a break and suddenly a comment from that first contact struck me. He said, "I've been listening for some time and waiting for a CQ!" I did not think much of it at the time be, in retrospect, I started to remember how many times I heard that exact same comment through the years. I also remembered how many times have I, myself, have just scanned, heard nobody, and left.

So I ask... why are we waiting? Be the start. Get on the bands and call CQ. Solar cycle 25 is progressing and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what awaits you. There really is no such thing as a dead band. It is just waiting for you to make something happen.

Make the contact.

Robert Ferrero, W6KR
President, Ham Radio Outlet

road construction in Smithfield

December 2023 - September 2025

A long-term single-lane closure on the Cypress Creek bridge (South Church Street, Route 258/10 Business) began Jan. 22, 2024, restricting traffic flow on the bridge to one-way traffic westbound only in the single open 11-foot lane. Occasional temporary, full closures of the bridge may occur as needed later in the project for beam placement activities.

Full and up-to-date details can be found on the VDOT website.