2005 ARRL Field Day
06/29/2005 |
K8DF
The Stonewall Jackson Amateur Radio Association, SJARA (K8DF) Field Day was held on June 25/26 at our traditional location on the grassy knoll directly behind the Harrison County YMCA at the top of Lowndes Hill, Clarksburg, WV
Lowndes Hill is an historical site having been the site of several Civil War skirmishes overlooking the downtown area of Clarksburg. Lowndes Hill still shows the remains of the Union Army entrenchments.
If you listened very closely you could hear the shouts of the Stonewall Jackson Brigade as they took over the Union encampment.
Everyone started to show up on Saturday around noon and work continued on the completion of the site.
Three stations were installed, one for 20/15/10 to operated on SSB/CW depending on conditions.
The second was set up on 40 meters SSB/CW, and the third set up 80 meters SSB.
Antenna installation was completed with a dipole for 80 meters at about 35 feet and a dipole
around 40 feet for 40 meters. A tri-bander on a 40 ft tower was installed for 20/15/10.
The Clarksburg Police Department Mobile Command Unit arrived
around 1 PM and we had power.
Of course, shortly into Field Day, we had a power supply on the 80 meter station that went south so off they went for a replacement which took about 30 minutes and 80 meters was back on the air and
operating like 80 meters is while the sun shines.
The temperature soared during the afternoon and before we knew it the temperature was 93 degrees and there was a lot of soda and water consumed with of course the increase in visits to the little yellow outhouse.
Outhouses are still a common site in West Virginia but not bright yellow ones.
While all of this was going on in the background unnoticed by most, the APRS Digipeater (Automatic Position Reporting System) was busy relaying and logging all of the APRS activity in the area.
A total of 137 stations was detected and logged in the local APRS area network.
The evening meal began at 6PM and we had hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, cold slaw, and bake beans.
During the meal the local TV station (WDTV Channel 5) came by and took shots of the operating stations and interviewed several of the operators. The short but informative film clip appeared on the local Channel 5 news at 11PM.
The Field Day activities were well attended with a total of 22 licensed amateur operators, with the youngest being KD8ABS, age 12 and eldest being K8WWW, age 74.
There was a grand total of 35 individuals at the Field Day activities and I believe most if not all enjoyed themselves, with the exception of one individual that felt we were enjoying it to much and not contesting hard enough. I think he enjoyed himself although he was not willing to admit it. Web Site http://www.sjara.org -- K8TPH
Lowndes Hill is an historical site having been the site of several Civil War skirmishes overlooking the downtown area of Clarksburg. Lowndes Hill still shows the remains of the Union Army entrenchments.
If you listened very closely you could hear the shouts of the Stonewall Jackson Brigade as they took over the Union encampment.
Everyone started to show up on Saturday around noon and work continued on the completion of the site.
Three stations were installed, one for 20/15/10 to operated on SSB/CW depending on conditions.
The second was set up on 40 meters SSB/CW, and the third set up 80 meters SSB.
Antenna installation was completed with a dipole for 80 meters at about 35 feet and a dipole
around 40 feet for 40 meters. A tri-bander on a 40 ft tower was installed for 20/15/10.
The Clarksburg Police Department Mobile Command Unit arrived
around 1 PM and we had power.
Of course, shortly into Field Day, we had a power supply on the 80 meter station that went south so off they went for a replacement which took about 30 minutes and 80 meters was back on the air and
operating like 80 meters is while the sun shines.
The temperature soared during the afternoon and before we knew it the temperature was 93 degrees and there was a lot of soda and water consumed with of course the increase in visits to the little yellow outhouse.
Outhouses are still a common site in West Virginia but not bright yellow ones.
While all of this was going on in the background unnoticed by most, the APRS Digipeater (Automatic Position Reporting System) was busy relaying and logging all of the APRS activity in the area.
A total of 137 stations was detected and logged in the local APRS area network.
The evening meal began at 6PM and we had hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, cold slaw, and bake beans.
During the meal the local TV station (WDTV Channel 5) came by and took shots of the operating stations and interviewed several of the operators. The short but informative film clip appeared on the local Channel 5 news at 11PM.
The Field Day activities were well attended with a total of 22 licensed amateur operators, with the youngest being KD8ABS, age 12 and eldest being K8WWW, age 74.
There was a grand total of 35 individuals at the Field Day activities and I believe most if not all enjoyed themselves, with the exception of one individual that felt we were enjoying it to much and not contesting hard enough. I think he enjoyed himself although he was not willing to admit it. Web Site http://www.sjara.org -- K8TPH
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