08/03/2007 | K7VIT K7VIT and N1KEZ (GOTA)

This year the loose confederation of hams who annually call ourselves the QUality Amateur Radio Klub (QUARK) got together at the Hillsboro Trap and Skeet Club site with their kind permission ( http://www.hillsborotrapandskeetclub.com/ ). Several exciting things happened. N1KEZ Rob wanted to be our GOTA station. Rob has been an avid SWL for years. Early this year, he decided it was time to take action which took him from no-license to Extra-Class in just four (4) short months. Being as he is lives in a CCR neighborhood, he had not been on HF much so GOTA he was. Rob N1KEZ, always the gentleman, made a very kind gesture. Rob allowed the first GOTA contacts to be made by Amy KE7NVZ who had received her newly minted license all of 4 days earlier. Amy under the expert tutelage of her husband, Hugh KD7YCU, Rob N1KEZ, and John KX7YT, jumped into the QSO-fray with both feet on 20 meter SSB. Rob N1KEZ also piloted the GOTA station but spent more time trying to keep our computer network functioning and taking pictures to document our Field Day effort. Pictures within this posting are courtesy of N1KEZ and KX7YT. (To see more of our FD pictures you may visit http://www.n1kez.net/ )

The rest of the crew was comprised of KX7YT John who is an avid DXer and holds calls S21YV and VU3DXY, N7AAM John who is a master of demonstration modes as well as a machine on the 40 meter band, N7UBS Chris who came to give our crew moral support, and K7VIT Jerry (that's me). Somehow because we used my callsign, I was appointed as the one who would sort out the logs. After a computer hiccup, the logs looked as though they were merged by a MixMaster (c). Just ponder this: What we do for the love of this amazingly wonderful, exciting, exhausting, public-service-preparedness hobby! And it's FUN. I love this pursuit!

Despite a few frustrations, our band of friends achieved a new personal best for our Field Day group. We used additional operating modes to gain additional points, new demonstration modes for additional bonus points, and worked additional sections across the USA and Canada. We didn't achieve our clean sweep though. We did contact old friends and provided many QSO's for our section competitors too. Along the way, we had several people visit our location including a couple of our unlicensed spouses sitting behind the microphone to make their very first ever Field Day contacts. When it was all over, we realized we had a winner of a 2007 ARRL Field Day.

Very 73 to all who gave us a call. Jerry -- K7VIT