07/23/2003 | K4JSI Field Day 2003 was enjoyable but I kept it pretty low-key. I operated from MDC (our back yard) as battery-powered Class 1B using QRP on 40 and 20 meters only. I slung a homebrew half-sized OH2NE 1/3 multiband antenna from the house to a tree in our neighbor's yard. That gave me a dipole on 40 and two halfwaves in-phase on 20. The rigs were the old Oak Hills QRP-40 and QRP-20, although I played a bit with a Ten Tec 1340. The ATU was a MFJ 971, which works well for me.

Results from 11 to 12 hours of operation were 58 QSOs on 20 and 60 QSOs on 40, and I claimed the emergency power bonus, having taken the starch out of three of my SLA batteries. It was nice to have single-signal reception instead of using gear with direct-conversion receivers which I'd used in the two previous field days.

While I enjoy 1B Field Day operation, I think I'll join a group for Field Day 2004. My first Field Day (as a new Novice) was with the Ithaca (NY) Mike and Key Club in 1955 and I haven't missed many since. Even operated Field Day 1966 with the Radio Club of Tacoma, WA, two weeks before I left for service in Vietnam. I've always thought of Field Day as the premiere amateur radio operating activity!

-- K4JSI