06/30/2004 | W8SP Field Day 2004! Great fun!

Once again the Mountaineer Amateur Radio Association members headed for the W8SP repeater site with antennas, radios, tents, and a whoppin' generator for another super Field Day weekend. Between us on top of the hill with the radios and generator and the Go-Kart track on down the hill, the community named Quit Dell was not very quiet!

Overall we had a successful and fun time. The folks who came out all contributed skill, experience, dedications, enthusiasm, and just plain hard work to make this another great Field Day.

Alan W8OP, JoAnn, Chris K8RUN, and Jenna, Greg N8TJD and Linda N8YNL, Joe WD8EOG and Luveda, Chuck K8UQY, Dawn KA8VHW, and Tom, Jason KB8AVQ and Melissa (callsign coming soon, we hope!) Marshall WG8T, Steve WB8III and Matthew and Tommy, Tom K8TW, THANKS, all of you, for your participation.

Not to forget Trinity and Hairy, who made up the K9 Squad!

Thanks to Bill WA8YCG for the use of the generator. It started on the first pull, and never once burped during the whole time. That 6kw diesel ran flawlessly!

The guys got the tower and beam up pretty easily. The new concrete pad was a help, and I guess they've done this the last few Field Days so they *KNOW* how to do it!

Alan's IC-746 was great. Joe's FT101, may be older but is a workhorse!
Thanks guys!

It was good to see Don WB8SCG again. Looking forward to seeing the pics you got and maybe one of these times you'll operate a bit, too!
Get that antenna up and get on the air!

Don's FD Pictures can be viewed on the web at:

http://webpages.charter.net/dgcjr/w8sp/

Thanks Don for sharing them! You got some really good ones!

The weather was beautiful again this year. Thanks to whoever remembered to arrange that.

It got pretty cold Saturday night. Steve had to work CW with gloves on!

Dinner was great. I checked in to the WV Phone Net at 6PM to pass our bonus traffic to the SM & SEC, but managed to slip out between messages long enough to get a burger and a couple of hot dogs.

I enjoyed "jamming" with Chuck and Dawn. Some of those old songs I remember, and some I've not heard, but y'all do great.

Of course, we're ALL grateful for the "Handi-House"... that most necessary operating position on the site!

This year we switched to N3FJP logging program. Using the laptops on a wireless network, things worked very nicely! Thanks, Scott!

Our final QSO count was up from last year, and y'all did a great job.
From first prep to teardown, THANKS again for your hard work.

Already looking forward to NEXT YEAR!

73
Bob WA8YCD
President MARA -- WA8YCD