‰ NOW 35 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST PAGE 70 ‰ FIELD DAY TEARDOWN KEEPING IT SAFE DONT LET A GREAT FIELD DAY BE RUINED BY ONE LAPSE OF GOOD JUDGMENT. T. J. SKIP AREY, N2EI IT WAS A TYPICAL ENDING TO A GREAT FIELD DAY. MANY CONTACTS WERE WORKED, FOOD WAS EATEN AND, OF COURSE, A LOT OF FUN WAS HAD. AFTER NEARLY 3 SOLID DAYS OF PREPARATION AND OPERATION, IT WAS TIME TO BREAK DOWN THE FIELD DAY SITE AND HEAD HOME TO POSTPONED HOUSEHOLD CHORES AND PREPARATION FOR THE COMING WORK WEEK NOT TO MENTION A GOOD HOME COOKED MEAL AFTER DINING ON HOT DOGS AND BUG JUICE FOR FAR TOO LONG. HOLDING PRIDE OF PLACE AT OUR FIELD DAY SITE WAS A TWO ELEMENT 40 METER BEAM SITTING 50 FEET HIGH ATOP A MILITARY SURPLUS AB 577/ GRC MAST. IT LOOKED GREAT AND IT WORKED EVEN BETTER. BUT AFTER 2059Z ON SUNDAY, THE PLUGS WERE PULLED AND IT WAS TIME TO TAKE THINGS DOWN AND HEAD FOR HOME. GROUPS OF HAMS FORMED, SOMEWHAT INFORMALLY, AND TOOK ON VARIOUS TASKS. I FELL IN WITH THOSE WHO HAD CONGREGATED NEAR THE BIG BEAM. WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ORDERLY PROCESS WAS THWARTED BY INEXPERIENCE, HASTE, AND WORST OF ALL FATIGUE. SOMEONE SUGGESTED WE START BY LOOSENING SOME OF THE GUY WIRES. THE MOMENT THOSE WORDS WERE UTTERED, ALARM BELLS SHOULD HAVE SOUNDED IN EVERY HEAD, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. INSTEAD, UNDIRECTED HANDS WENT IN UNEXPECTED DIRECTIONS AND ONE TOO MANY WIRES WENT FAR TOO SLACK. THE ANTENNA SYSTEM WOBBLED FOR A BRIEF MOMENT AND THEN SLOWLY ‰ END OF 35 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ