Field Emcomm Station Meet 2025

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General information

  • Saturday, September 27, 2025
  • Rain Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
  • Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory – Laurel, MD
    • Access details and parking locations will be provided in the Post-Registration Information Packet
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About the Event

Join us for the First Annual Field Emcomm Station Meet — an outdoor, hands-on gathering of amateur radio operators from across the region. This is your chance to showcase, compare, and learn from portable emergency communications stations and well-crafted personal sustainment kits.

Whether your setup fits in a backpack or arrives on wheels, you will see what works in the field, share best practices, and take home new ideas to improve your readiness. Even without a station, your presence helps strengthen our regional capability.

Event Focus

We are seeking stations designed and packaged specifically for emergency communications in the field under austere conditions.

  • POTA/SOTA/IOTA stations may be capable of emcomm use, but their design goals often differ from the needs of dedicated emergency deployments.
  • This is not an operating event — getting on the air is welcome, but the priority is explaining how and why your station is configured for effective emergency use.

Space Limitations

  • Stations: Participant spots may be limited if interest exceeds capacity.
  • Vehicles: Space for emcomm vehicles is especially limited.

Event Details

  • DATE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2025
  • Rain Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
  • Schedule:
    • 0700–0900 – Participant arrival and station setup
    • 0900–1300 – Field operations, station visits, peer exchange
    • 1300–1500 – Pack-out and field restoration (Leave No Trace)
  • Location: Johns Hopkins APL – Main Campus, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723
  • Parking: Southwest lot near Building 1
  • Cost of attendance or participation: Free
  • Talk in frequency: 146.55 MHz

Who Should Attend

Amateur radio operators, clubs, and emergency communications teams from across the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas and beyond. Operators from farther afield are welcome and appreciated for making the trip.

Ways to Participate

  • Participant: Bring and operate your portable emcomm station and antenna in the field.
  • Attendee: Join without a station to observe, learn, and contribute ideas.

What You’ll Receive After Registration

Your Post-Registration Information Packet will include:

  • Site map and instructions (access, parking, WC)
  • Field Emcomm Station Best Practices document authored by MCACS
  • Notes on Leave No Trace expectations

Security and Safety Notice

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is a secure facility, operating under Department of Defense regulations for restricted entry.

  • For the safety of all staff and visitors, anyone visiting Johns Hopkins APL should be free from sickness or symptoms common to any communicable illness, including COVID-19.
  • Firearms and weapons are restricted items and should not be brought on campus.

Please Share

Club leaders, ARES/RACES coordinators, and emcomm group leads — feel free to share widely with clubs, ARES/RACES/ACS organizations, and colleagues from outside the DC/Baltimore area who might be interested in attending.

Organizers

Organizing committee

Sponsors of the event (incomplete list)

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Amateur Radio Club

With support from

  • National Capital Region (NCR) ARES Council
  • Montgomery County ARES
  • Howard County ARES
  • Howard County RACES
  • Maryland / DC ARRL Section
  • Virginia ARRL Section

Discussion & Contact

Join the discussion

If you wish to engage in the pre-event discussion, you can do so within Ham Community. If you are already registered and a member of the Emergency Communications Group, this link will take you right to the event’s thread within the Group. If you are not yet registered on Ham Community, you can do so here: Create an Account – Ham Community – After registration, go to the Emergency Communications Group and simply join the group.

Contact us

If you have a specific question, it may take us a little longer to get back to you (remember, we are all volunteers with day jobs). You can do so by sending an email to: events at hamsupport.com – We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Registration

Emcomm 2025
If you are not a licensed amateur radio operator and wish to attend, please enter 'UNLICENSED' in this field.
Name
Name
First Name
Last Name
Coming as
IMPORTANT: Only one operator should register as a 'participant' per station. If two of you will come, the second operator is an 'attendee'.
Station type
Setup
Setup
Abstain from being overly specific. Just say: "Rack box sitting on a table with a vertical whip antenna".
Volunteering times
What times are you available the day of the Meet?
Volunteer consent and acknowledgment
  • Volunteers are requested to arrive by 0600, regardless of assigned duties. If later arrival is necessary, I will inform the organizers in advance.
  • I accept full responsibility for my participation. I acknowledge that neither the organizers nor Johns Hopkins University are contracting with me as an employee or independent contractor, and that they bear no liability for any harm, injury, or loss that may occur.
  • I will bring and wear a yellow safety vest (preferably an ARES vest). Orange or green vests are discouraged but acceptable.
  • I am responsible for providing my own food, water, and sun protection.
  • I agree to follow the same conditions and requirements as all event participants (see “Consent and Acknowledgment” below).

Space requested

Specify the total footprint of your station, including operating position, antenna, and all guy wires. Plan realistically — your allocation must fit within your assigned space. If space becomes limited, you might be asked to adjust your setup on-site. Oversized antennas, such as delta loops, are discouraged due to both space limitations and their unsuitability for emergency communications (emcomm) operations. Note that WIDTH is the longer of the two measurements. DEPTH is the smaller number.
Important: We cannot guarantee specific placement or orientation of stations. As this is not a high-activity operating event, please keep on-air transmissions to a minimum.
Width: 10 feetWidth: 150 feet
80
This is the ideal width, in feet, that you will need for your setup. Note that 'width' is the longer of the two measurements.
Depth: 10 feetDepth: 50 feet
30
This is the ideal depth, in feet, that you will need for your setup. Note that 'depth' is the shorter of the two measurements.
Consent and acknowledgement
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is a secure facility operating under Department of Defense regulations for restricted entry. For the safety of all staff and visitors, I will not attend if I am experiencing any sickness or symptoms common to any communicable illness, including COVID-19. Firearms and weapons are restricted items and will not be brought on campus. I understand that the event is outdoors and subject to weather conditions. In the event of severe or unsafe weather, the event may be postponed to the published rain date or canceled entirely. I agree to comply with all on-site instructions from event organizers and APL staff.

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