Solar Power, Mountain Winds, and a Bear: NORAC’s Memorable 2026 Field Day

The North Okanagan Radio Amateur Club (NORAC) took to the hills for the 2026 ARRL Field Day, setting up a highly successful temporary communications compound at Lot E of the Silver Star Ski Hill. Operating in true emergency-preparedness fashion, the club left the commercial grid behind, relying entirely on a robust combination of lithium batteries and solar power to run multiple stations simultaneously.

The alpine environment provided the perfect testing ground for the club's gear. NORAC operators successfully maintained a steady presence across multiple frequencies, racking up over 400 contacts spanning the length and breadth of North America. Signals were pushed via both traditional voice (SSB) and digital modes, proving the club's versatility in adapting to different propagation conditions.

To support the 24-hour operation, six trailers camped out over the weekend right beside the main station tent, creating a bustling, self-contained amateur radio village on the mountain.

Four Seasons in Fifteen Minutes

As is typical for high-altitude operations in the Okanagan, the mountain weather absolutely did not disappoint. Operators got a firsthand lesson in rapid weather adaptation, encountering almost every atmospheric condition imaginable—sometimes all within a 15-minute span! Aside from freezing temperatures and snow, the mountain threw a bit of everything at the camp, keeping the crew on their toes and proving that NORAC can maintain communications through any sudden shift in climate.

Gear Spotlight: Surviving the Ridge Winds

The chaotic weather provided the ultimate proving ground for the club's new BuddiHex antenna. Mountain operating environments are notoriously harsh on structures, but the new hexrahedral array proved its worth by handling the stiff, unpredictable mountain wind loads and sudden weather shifts without a single hitch. It provided excellent directional gain, contributing significantly to the weekend’s impressive contact tally.

Mentorship and Fresh Talent

Field Day is as much about community outreach as it is about making contacts, and this year’s event delivered on all fronts.

• A Future Operator: The club welcomed several visitors, including a remarkably keen young man who had the opportunity to get on the air and make his very first radio contact—a classic Field Day milestone.

• An Impressive Prospect: NORAC is also on the verge of adding a stellar new member to the roster—a recent electrical engineering graduate who stopped by to show off a homebuilt, custom radio he designed and constructed himself.

An Uninvited (but Well-Behaved) Guest

No mountain Field Day is complete without a bit of local wildlife, but this year brought a uniquely Canadian surprise. The team received a brief visit from a very well-behaved black bear. The furry spectator wandered near the perimeter to check out the antennas, but as soon as he realized the logging operators were watching him, he turned tail and quickly bolted back into the treeline.

A Heartfelt Thank You

An event of this scale doesn't just happen on its own. A massive thank you goes out to everyone who helped out over the weekend. From the heavy lifters who assisted with setup and takedown, to the chefs keeping the camp fed, to the dedicated operators pulling late-night shifts—this event could not have been a success without your time, effort, and teamwork!

With erratic weather, clean solar power, solid logging numbers, and fantastic company, NORAC’s 2026 Field Day will easily go down as one for the books.

73 to all who logged us!