Just a quick AAR on this years Field Day.
Friday we set up some antennas and messenger lines for additional antennas. The weather was picture perfect.
Saturday at start time (1400 Hrs.) we had five stations plus a GOTA station which is a freebee as it is used primarily for non hams visiting the festivities. We had intermittent rain but was mostly sunny albeit humid. At 1700 Hrs. we quit for 1/2 hr or so to feast on prime rib sandwiches and cornucopia of side dishes that each ham brought. MrsMac brought her 'Damn Beans' which were a big hit as she went home with an empty dish.
Two stations were used for CQ (Morse Code), one was used for digital, and the others were used for phone.
I hit the sack at 0100 Hrs. Sunday morning along with all of the stations but one that remained open doing CQ till 0300 Hrs. I was visited at about 0230 by a guest who was a little startled by my voice emanated from a hammock I was sleeping in about 20 feet from my station. I bellowed out, with much annoyance "can I help you?" The young man stuttered, "I think I left my cell phone here when I visited earlier."
I told him that I had found a cell phone earlier and it was on the table in front of him. I asked him if he had a flash light and he replied, "no." so I used the Streamlite on my handgun to eliminate the table for him. He nervously thanked me and trotted away.
Got up at 0530 Hrs. and boiled some water for coffee. At 0600 Hrs the generators were turned back on and we all got on the airwaves making contacts till 1400 Hrs, when the contest ended. We did stop for 1/2 hr. to eat an awesome breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast which one of the ham operators wife made on a couple of Coleman white gas stoves.
After 1400 Hrs Sunday we started the arduous task of taking down the antennas and packing up all of the gear. At 1600 Hrs. I pulled out of this years location. At this time the preliminary results were, we had made 1039 contacts over the 24 hr. period
Last night on our clubs net the final number of contacts once duplicates were culled out was announced. As a group we had made 958 contacts! The highest we had ever made as a club. The break down was:
> 19 GOTA contacts (Contacts made by non licensed hams 'visitors')
> 98 digital
> 374 Phone, and
> 476 CQ.
As a club, we made contacts in every state within the Continental USA BUT Arizona and most of the Canadian provinces.
Some of the antennas that were used were:
> Delta Loop,
> NVIS,
> Dipole (s), and
> 'Home Brew' yagi.
A good time was had by all!!!
