2007-06_Field Day
Posted: July 3, 2007 4:34 pmFiled under: amateur radio
WHEW! Field Day always is SO much fun but it takes the starch out of me, takes a day to get over all that fun in the sun. We had a very low turnout this year, but those that could make the time to come had a wonderful weekend.
We met on Friday night and ate at the Sit’n Bull the local little restaurant in Gray and then went up to the fairgrounds and spent 2 ½ hours getting up the 80 meter loop antenna, that was fun and for a couple of new folks, I think they now have some new skill for future FD’s.
Saturday morning found nobody showing up until Ed, WX4S, came and only then did I find we had to reconfigure the 80 Meter loop, wrong feedline. So changed that and hooked up the analyzer ….. NO GOOD, swr to high, out of resonance with freq way to high…..so calculate, umm have to shorten loop…. Loop down, cut some off, Loop up……better……loop down, cut more off, loop up and now we are resonant on the correct frequency, that ED is good, Huh! We did have to move the loop over a bit and get it away from the metal roof of the bus.
We now are beginning to have more show up, plenty of good times fooling with antennas, and again we always learn something.
Not many operators but that is ok with me, I had a good time pounding out some CW, making that sweet music. Richard, KT4OR, brought his radio for SSB and when I finished with the CW, someone could crank up the SSB. We had a few times with nobody operating but not a long time. One thing I hope to change is to be more watchful of who is available to operate and while they are there ask them if they would like to get on the radio….. instead of me working CW…… I needed to be more conscious….. ah, will I ever learn?
I sure enjoyed having Jim Black, W4BLK, do the logging for me, we got to share some laughs about my writin, sometimes I can’t read my own letters I scribbled as fast as I can. I also grabbed Cliff, N4ZEU, for a logger and like Jim, he caught on right away to the software, easy to log just hit tab, go to the next item….. now, if I could just write better so they could read the calls and info. We were cranking out the contacts, way fun, huh guys!
We had a nice meal Saturday evening compliments of the EMA boys, Kyle and Conley, doing the dinner. Hamburger, hot dogs, beans, drinks, chips. Nice friendship sitting around the picnic table. I took a break and got to spend some time with my friend Jim, K5OGF, and talk a bit. Cliff, N4ZEU, joined us and we shared a cold drink and some quality time together, now that is what FD is all about, making memories, making lasting friendships, sharing, caring.
Saturday night had Richard, KT4OR, at the microphone all night long, pounding out the contacts, the 80 meter loop worked quite well on 20M but not on 40M, we used an inverted V for 40 meters, mostly for cw, with ssb difficult because of the AM broadcast stations on that band. I left Richard about 1:30 am and conked out in the van for the night. Perfect WX, cool, dry, and my bed was soft and comfortable ……. ah, another great memory for MIKE.
6am and I am up but groggy and drinking coffee to get going, Richard has almost 200 contact in the night, “Way to go Richard!” He finally goes home for some breakfast. (8 eggs, toast, and ?, the boy can eat ……), as he leaves he says he will be back before 2 and help tear down.
Time for some more cw music, and now we have Rebecca and Mark on site, KD4WGD, KI4JKS, Rebecca is logging for me, reading the calls and info off my scratch paper as I work the stations. OOPS after three pages of contacts I finally notice we are not logging on the correct band, SORRY REBECCA, now she has to edit all those contacts…….
Time for a break and it is a FANTASTIC BREAKFAST FROM KYLE AND CONLEY, nothing like that homemade gravy over toast, eggs, sausage, coffee …. boy was that a special time, we started telling stories about old timey breakfasts made on a wood cook stove … brought back a lot of memories, everyone had a story and something to share. Again good times at FD, friendships shared.
Rebecca spends half hour fixing the log and now it is her time to operate. Ed, WX4S, logs for her and gives a little instruction, away she goes getting better every contact, some fun, Rebecca! It just takes some time learning a new skill, next time will be easier, and we get a little better each FD. The only way is to get on the radio and beforehand watch and learn how others do it. Although Mark was not feeling well, he was right there, he wanted to be part of FD, that is the real spirit of FD, just like Jerome, showing up after just getting out of the hospital, he wanted to be a part of FD. Ask him about the nice award he received for 45 years of service, very impressive I must say.
We had some distinguished visitors come by, KC4SAW, John, and his sidekick, John, WN4OAA, (hope I remembered that call). I had not seen or talked to them in quite a while and it was nice to spend some time catching up on the latest news. Great to see them!
Jim, K5OGF, has brought his packet station and we do a bit of packet, sent four messages, two to ARES officers, one to my friend in Oak Ridge who recently had back surgery, and even an e-mail to Wolfe, a ham in Germany that I talk to on skype. All the messages sent via packet through the telnet server, N1UAN-8 VIA HMV. I had quite a time getting exactly everything correct so the message would be accepted, but finally I did a {H} command and got help….ah, easy now that I see what to type. DUH! We had tried to connect to K1LNX-10, Stephen Browns new telnet station but we were behind metal buildings and could not get a good signal into JOCY on Buffalo. We got extra points for sending messages to ARES officials, way to go Jim! ATTA BOY
It is after lunch, thanks again to the EMA boys; my friend and rover partner Greg, KB4NVD, has come by and is now filling up some pages of contacts, GO GET’UM GREG.
Only a hour left for this years field day, time for a little fun as I take over the ssb station, CQ FD FROM THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS OF TENNESSEE THIS IS W4ABR, FD FD ……… now that was fun, just take time to share some southern humor with our northern hams, YOU GUYS TALK TO FAST, WE ARE IN THE SOUTH, TALK SLOWER ……. we got some good comments as they sent their calls REALLY SLOW, hee hee. And what really got them going was when I gave my cq, CQ FD “FROM THE HOME OF DOLLY PARTON, THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS OF TENNESSEE, W4ABR” Now that got those northern boys, they came out of the woodwork to talk to that Eastern Tennessee station. We told them to YA’LL COME DOWN NOW AND BRING SOME OF THAT NORTHERN MONEY, WE NEED IT HERE IN TENNESSEE. We all were laughing and having a good time while Working some nice pile ups, those northern guys can give it out as well. I know they will remember that slow talking, slow walking East Tennessee Station, W4ABR, FROM THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS OF TENNESSEE.
WHAT A GREAT FIELD DAY, SEE YOU NEXT YEAR GUYS! Thanks to everyone who helped and participated, special thanks to Ed, WX4S, who does so much each field day and thanks for bringing out your OMNI 6, what a great cw rig that is, wow. Thanks to Jim, K5OGF, for his help throughout the planning and preparation, special thanks for the calls, “what can I do to help”. Another guy that I appreciated so much was Ken, K4KN, who was there to help and do whatever he could even though he had family commitments. And finally thanks to Doug Cooper from the EMA who always is there bringing out the Bus, and generators and whatever we need that they have …….. Thanks to all your guys. We don’t want to leave Catfish out, thanks for all your efforts. Hope I have not left anyone out, I probably will remember some later on ……..
