How We Made Field Day Our Best One Yet

We reinvented Field Day as a community open house, and it might be our favorite one yet. Watch the full South Lyon Field Day walkthrough here:    • Field Day 2026 Setup Walkthrough: BuddiHex...   In this episode, James (K8JKU), Jim (N8JRD), and Rory (W8KNX) recap a busy July. We chase the 13 Colonies Special Event through a solar storm, dig into Monroe Ham Swap finds, rethink what ARRL Field Day can be, give an honest first look at the Buddipole BuddiHEX hex beam, and preview the Icom ID-5200 versus Kenwood TM-D750A mobile radio showdown. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and shack updates 04:44 Monroe Ham Swap finds 08:52 Kenwood TH-D75A vs Yaesu VX-6 10:32 13 Colonies Special Event 22:30 South Lyon Field Day, reimagined 29:17 Is Field Day still relevant? 38:45 Signage and getting newcomers on the air 48:13 Buddipole BuddiHEX first impressions 58:35 Icom ID-5200 vs Kenwood TM-D750A Gear and links mentioned: Buddipole BuddiHEX hex beam: https://www.buddipole.com/buddihex2.html Kenwood TH-D75A: https://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/amate... 13 Colonies Special Event: https://www.13colonies.us K8MRD, "Is ARRL Field Day Becoming Obsolete?":    • Is ARRL Field Day Becoming Obsolete?   Everyday Ham Episode 7 (our earlier Field Day conversation):    • Field Day Disappointment? Why We Think ARR...   Everyday Ham Discord (linked on our site): https://www.everydayham.com/ Don't miss a single episode! Follow the Everyday Ham Podcast on your favorite podcast platform (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and more) and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Website: https://www.everydayham.com/ Instagram:   / everydayhampodcast   #hamradio #FieldDay #amateurradio #13Colonies #BuddiHEX