ARRL Field Day 2019

[JohnyMac]

Just a friendly reminder that starting at 1400 hrs. eastern on Saturday June 22nd and running to 1400 hrs. eastern Sunday June 23rd will be the annual ARRL Field Day.

If you do not have or do have a amateur license, find out what your local amateur radio club is doing those two days and participate.

For you folks who are close to NE PA, I invite you to attend my club's part in the event. If you would like to experience the whole event at my clubs (N3SRC) TOC (Tactical Operations Center) and don't mind camping out in a tent. Drop me a PM and I will give additional information.

Dinner includes; Barbecued rib roast sandwiches with a whole host of sides made by my clubs members. Drinks, soft and adult are supplied by the club too. Breakfast typically: Coffee, scrapple, eggs, bagels, etc.

Don't be a couch potato get out there and get on the air waves. 

[JohnyMac]

Well another Field Day is behind us and here is a very quick AAR on our event.

My clubs Field Day was held in spite of the fact our club President died on June 14th when the antenna tower he was installing collapsed while he was on the top of the tower. Apparently a bolt snapped on one of the guy wires and with his weight on it started to pivot down and then collapsed in on its self. Our President had a safety belt on and locked into the tower and he didn't have a chance.

We had 4 stations along with a GoTo and 2-meter station set up.

The weather was perfect. Blue sky's highs in the high 70's and humidity under 50% for the two days.

We made over 500 QSO's with 50% or so being done using CW, 25% digital and the remainder phone.

There was two antennas that blew up or had to be repaired.  One was a Delta Loop. Smoke was seen coming out of the manual tuner so the operator shut down the station and then we lowered the Delta Loop down. The PVC pipe being used as the connector at the apex of the antenna Had melted. It was taken down ASAP and a standard dipole antenna was raised and within 30-minutes the station was abck on the air.

My G5RV antenna was great then all of a sudden I lost SWR. Looking at the balun we realized one of the wires had become disconnected from the ladder-line. Lowered the antenna took apart the balun; did a little triage with new wire and solder, then re-hoisted the antenna and was back on the air.

Great weekend even under the circumstances. 

Anybody else out there that participated in this years Field Day event?

[Jackalope]

   Not me this year... too busy packing and prepping.

[bennington.camper]

I did some operating from my home. A few SSB contacts, but as I have just got my digital setup working, the majority were FT-8 with a few PSK31.
Happy to be able to test out the equipment on a couple of new modes (30W), as I am still chasing an RFI gremlin in my computer to digital interface wiring.
BTW, the GOTO station is really a GOTA (Get On The Air) station...
'73

[JohnyMac]

BG, I just type in my Philly accent  GOTO Vs. GOTA.