11/26/2003 | K8IAT November Sweepstakes was a huge success for upcoming amateurs. This year the Kendallville Contesters took their Field Day Equipment (Yeasu Ft-920, 30ft Portable Tower, Cushcraft A3S Tribander and their 80-Meter Off-Center-Fed Dipole) and traveled to Howe, IN to set up in Dan Rhinesmith Garage. We invited several visitors over to experience November FieldDay SS.
The use of an old wood working shop provided an excellent amateur radio communication center. Friday night with allot of help from our friends (Michael Schall) we lift our antenna into the air. Place a table in the center of the temporally Emergency Communication Center. Wire up all radio, Computer, interfaces, Clocks and any other tid-bit information devices and we are ready for November SS.
On Saturday Morning we all get up early to travel to the second best Hamfest in the nation! Although this year the Ft. Wayne Coliseum was not as filled as previous years but still an excellent time in meeting fellow hams and attending the ARRL forms. At proximately 12:00 local time we all travel back to Howe with all of our cover dishes. The Kendallville Contesters use the November Sweepstakes as a Holiday Banquet (Thanksgiving/Christmas Dinner) The table saw was converted to hold the Holiday Feast. The turkey and all of the trimmings are dished out and the BUSH Race is under way, we make a couple of contact to insure all instruments are ready for Lift-Off. With our belly's full and the Nascar Officials trying to sort out who won the championship, The Contest Began.
This year the contacts where dispassionately down, some due to the downward solar cycle, and others from lack of operators in the contest. But had a wonderful demo to a couple of new possible operators. Clint ran the Logging software (Designed by Scott N3FJP) Jason Himes turned the dial on the radio, and Corey Rhinesmith was operating the microphone made myself (Tim Ryman K8IAT and Garry Pape KB9YTT) very proud to encourage the use of amateur radio to a younger generation. All thee are now interested in getting there ticket. Gary and I will be starting classes soon, with the promise of them able to operate Field Day 2004 as a Tech Station. -- K8IAT