2005 ARRL Field Day
06/28/2005 |
N8LXR
Hello Ham Radio Friends,
Here is the run down of N8LXR's 2005 FD Mobile Class effort from Fortescue Island, NJ, situated in a spot right on the Delaware Bay, just a few feet from Bay's edge, with wide open takeoffs over the salt water to the NW, W, S, and SW, with decent takeoffs as well over a salt marsh in the other directions.
Have a look at the pictures of my HF mobile rig and the prime RF location just feet from salt water - nature's RF amplifier!
This year is a BIG improvement over last year when I was also in the mobile class and did 667 QSOs, score around 2500 points, from a spot on the Delaware River here in Philadelphia, came in Second Place among the 1Cs.
So here are the details of N8LXR's 2005 Mobile Class Field Day Adventure:
Entry Class: Mobile, 1C
Operators: 1, (me, hi hi)
Equipment: 2001 Toyota Tacoma, FT-100D transceiver, High Sierra HS 1500 Screwdriver, ancient Toshiba 486 laptop with NA Contest Logging Software supporting computer generated CW, 300 AH size 8D deep cycle battery, 40 Amp miniaturized microprocessor controlled charger by TrueCharge, Coleman 3KW AC generator mounted in truck's bed, Bencher Paddles, operating desk mounted on passenger side of cab.
QSO Rundown:
80 CW: 174 QSOs
40 CW: 344 QSOs
20 CW: 292 QSOs
15 CW: 33 QSOs
Total CW: 843
Phone:
40 Phone: 98 QSOs
20 Phone: 18 QSOs
15 Phone: 14 QSOs
Total phone QSOs: 130
Total QSOs: 973
Points:
CW points = 1686
SSB Points = 130
Total points: 1816
Score:
Power Multiplier: 2
2X 1816 QSO points = 3632 Raw Score before Bonus
points
Bonus Points:
100 percent Emergency Power: 100
NTS Message to SNJ Section Manager: 100
Originated 10 NTS Messages: 100
Site Visitation by Local Mayor: 100
Site Visitation by Local Director of EOC: 100
Media Publicity - 100
Total Bonus Points: 600
Final Score = 3632 Raw score + 600 Bonus points = 4232 points - Final Score.
Various:
Total on-air operating time: 23 hours 2 minutes (remaining time was spent doing bonus point work or taking short nature/stretching breaks).
Average hourly QSOs: 42.24
Best Hourly QSO rate: Tied between 2100 and 2200
GMT Sat. and between
1200 and 1300 GMT Sun.
at 58 Qs an hour.
Was trying to maintain 60
Qs an hour, just wasn't
happening despite reports that
my mobile signal was 10 to 20
over on 40 and 20 CW on single
hop skip into various parts of the
US just before the FD period
along with similar reports on
80 meter CW from that location
some weeks ago.
Comments:
* Simply put, the best band conditions for Field Day
in many years. No major Tom Foolery from Old Sol
and even 15 meters was open. 10 meters DOA again.
40 was very productive if a bit noisy at night, typical
of summer band conditions. 20 was also very good and
nearly tied 40 meters for number of QSOs. 15 was
open on Sunday but I neglected to check it on
Saturday. Have heard reports that it was open on
Saturday too.
* My location was fantastic: Cool breezes, warm
welcome from local town government, the best
RF location anyone could ask for: Wide open
and just a few feet from salt water!
* Was able to hold a frequency on CW and run
stations often even though using mobile equipment.
Times when rate dropped off were due more to simply
having fished out the stations on the band at that
time, I think, but changing CQ-calling frequency within
a band on CW did result in a new batch of stations to
work most of the time, at least for a while. When I
went for five minutes with no answers to my CQ, I
QSYed to another band.
* Searched and pounced about half the time and called
CQ half the time.
* Went to SSB only when my rates on CW were falling
off no matter what band I was on. SSB was tough
for a mobile station, S and P all the time of course,
but got through on first call about 80 percent of the
time I estimate. Trouble was in making out the
call signs of the stations that were clobbering each
other with QRM, receiver in the FT-100D does not fair
so well in SSB contest-like QRM but is great on CW.
* Could not have asked for better weather, although
it did get a bit hot on Sunday after the cool breezes
abated;
* Had one heck of scare when someone drove by with
a transmission burning out: Smoke was so thick it
came into the cab of my truck and I thought
something had caught fire in my electrical system!!
Jumped out of cab and using my sense of smell
along with visual inspection of battery, generator,
and all power cabling, found out and was relieved
to discover that the smoke and smell was NOT
coming from MY rig!
* Noticed that this year, stations were spreading out
into the Extra portions of the CW bands. Recall
that in other years, very little activity in the lower,
Extra portions, but it's a good idea as it makes it
easier to find a spot to call CQ on CW.
* Had a lot of fun with the bonus points and grateful
that ARRL saw fit to make all stations eligible for the
vast majority of them. Thanks ARRL!
* Thanks to Field Day station KC2KAX for receiving my
NTS message to the SNJ Section Manager along with
the ten "Greetings from Field Day" NTS messages that
together garnered both our Field Day efforts 200 bonus
points. KC2KAX was operated by the guys over at the
East Coast Long Wire Association Club, down where I grew
up in Cape May County, NJ. Receiving operator at
KC2KAX was Mike, W2YYY, a FB traffic handler.
Thanks Mike!
* Especially enjoyed having the local Mayor, Director
of the EOC, and the local Fire Chief come by to have
a look-see at my rig. Told them about Ham Radio
and how they can use the free services of ARES and
RACES for emergency communications support in
their town. Many thanks to Downe Township, NJ
Mayor Riland, Director of Emergency Mgt. Larry Jordon, and
Chief Higbee of the Fortescue, NJ Fire, Rescue, and
Dive Team for stopping by.
* Was disappointed that I did not make my personal
goal of completing 1000 QSOs - came 27 short! Drats!
* Thank God for bug repellent and sun block!
* Got home at about 4:30 PM EST after packing up all
the stuff and driving the 2 hour trek home. Carried
stuff into the house and collapsed into a 14 hour long
sleep. Exhausted!
Well, that's my Field Day 2005 story.
73 and hope all had a fun and safe Field Day 2005!
Tim
N8LXR
1C SNJ -- N8LXR
Here is the run down of N8LXR's 2005 FD Mobile Class effort from Fortescue Island, NJ, situated in a spot right on the Delaware Bay, just a few feet from Bay's edge, with wide open takeoffs over the salt water to the NW, W, S, and SW, with decent takeoffs as well over a salt marsh in the other directions.
Have a look at the pictures of my HF mobile rig and the prime RF location just feet from salt water - nature's RF amplifier!
This year is a BIG improvement over last year when I was also in the mobile class and did 667 QSOs, score around 2500 points, from a spot on the Delaware River here in Philadelphia, came in Second Place among the 1Cs.
So here are the details of N8LXR's 2005 Mobile Class Field Day Adventure:
Entry Class: Mobile, 1C
Operators: 1, (me, hi hi)
Equipment: 2001 Toyota Tacoma, FT-100D transceiver, High Sierra HS 1500 Screwdriver, ancient Toshiba 486 laptop with NA Contest Logging Software supporting computer generated CW, 300 AH size 8D deep cycle battery, 40 Amp miniaturized microprocessor controlled charger by TrueCharge, Coleman 3KW AC generator mounted in truck's bed, Bencher Paddles, operating desk mounted on passenger side of cab.
QSO Rundown:
80 CW: 174 QSOs
40 CW: 344 QSOs
20 CW: 292 QSOs
15 CW: 33 QSOs
Total CW: 843
Phone:
40 Phone: 98 QSOs
20 Phone: 18 QSOs
15 Phone: 14 QSOs
Total phone QSOs: 130
Total QSOs: 973
Points:
CW points = 1686
SSB Points = 130
Total points: 1816
Score:
Power Multiplier: 2
2X 1816 QSO points = 3632 Raw Score before Bonus
points
Bonus Points:
100 percent Emergency Power: 100
NTS Message to SNJ Section Manager: 100
Originated 10 NTS Messages: 100
Site Visitation by Local Mayor: 100
Site Visitation by Local Director of EOC: 100
Media Publicity - 100
Total Bonus Points: 600
Final Score = 3632 Raw score + 600 Bonus points = 4232 points - Final Score.
Various:
Total on-air operating time: 23 hours 2 minutes (remaining time was spent doing bonus point work or taking short nature/stretching breaks).
Average hourly QSOs: 42.24
Best Hourly QSO rate: Tied between 2100 and 2200
GMT Sat. and between
1200 and 1300 GMT Sun.
at 58 Qs an hour.
Was trying to maintain 60
Qs an hour, just wasn't
happening despite reports that
my mobile signal was 10 to 20
over on 40 and 20 CW on single
hop skip into various parts of the
US just before the FD period
along with similar reports on
80 meter CW from that location
some weeks ago.
Comments:
* Simply put, the best band conditions for Field Day
in many years. No major Tom Foolery from Old Sol
and even 15 meters was open. 10 meters DOA again.
40 was very productive if a bit noisy at night, typical
of summer band conditions. 20 was also very good and
nearly tied 40 meters for number of QSOs. 15 was
open on Sunday but I neglected to check it on
Saturday. Have heard reports that it was open on
Saturday too.
* My location was fantastic: Cool breezes, warm
welcome from local town government, the best
RF location anyone could ask for: Wide open
and just a few feet from salt water!
* Was able to hold a frequency on CW and run
stations often even though using mobile equipment.
Times when rate dropped off were due more to simply
having fished out the stations on the band at that
time, I think, but changing CQ-calling frequency within
a band on CW did result in a new batch of stations to
work most of the time, at least for a while. When I
went for five minutes with no answers to my CQ, I
QSYed to another band.
* Searched and pounced about half the time and called
CQ half the time.
* Went to SSB only when my rates on CW were falling
off no matter what band I was on. SSB was tough
for a mobile station, S and P all the time of course,
but got through on first call about 80 percent of the
time I estimate. Trouble was in making out the
call signs of the stations that were clobbering each
other with QRM, receiver in the FT-100D does not fair
so well in SSB contest-like QRM but is great on CW.
* Could not have asked for better weather, although
it did get a bit hot on Sunday after the cool breezes
abated;
* Had one heck of scare when someone drove by with
a transmission burning out: Smoke was so thick it
came into the cab of my truck and I thought
something had caught fire in my electrical system!!
Jumped out of cab and using my sense of smell
along with visual inspection of battery, generator,
and all power cabling, found out and was relieved
to discover that the smoke and smell was NOT
coming from MY rig!
* Noticed that this year, stations were spreading out
into the Extra portions of the CW bands. Recall
that in other years, very little activity in the lower,
Extra portions, but it's a good idea as it makes it
easier to find a spot to call CQ on CW.
* Had a lot of fun with the bonus points and grateful
that ARRL saw fit to make all stations eligible for the
vast majority of them. Thanks ARRL!
* Thanks to Field Day station KC2KAX for receiving my
NTS message to the SNJ Section Manager along with
the ten "Greetings from Field Day" NTS messages that
together garnered both our Field Day efforts 200 bonus
points. KC2KAX was operated by the guys over at the
East Coast Long Wire Association Club, down where I grew
up in Cape May County, NJ. Receiving operator at
KC2KAX was Mike, W2YYY, a FB traffic handler.
Thanks Mike!
* Especially enjoyed having the local Mayor, Director
of the EOC, and the local Fire Chief come by to have
a look-see at my rig. Told them about Ham Radio
and how they can use the free services of ARES and
RACES for emergency communications support in
their town. Many thanks to Downe Township, NJ
Mayor Riland, Director of Emergency Mgt. Larry Jordon, and
Chief Higbee of the Fortescue, NJ Fire, Rescue, and
Dive Team for stopping by.
* Was disappointed that I did not make my personal
goal of completing 1000 QSOs - came 27 short! Drats!
* Thank God for bug repellent and sun block!
* Got home at about 4:30 PM EST after packing up all
the stuff and driving the 2 hour trek home. Carried
stuff into the house and collapsed into a 14 hour long
sleep. Exhausted!
Well, that's my Field Day 2005 story.
73 and hope all had a fun and safe Field Day 2005!
Tim
N8LXR
1C SNJ -- N8LXR
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