06/28/2006 | N7DLV I set up my Field Day station in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Park along Forest Service Road #70 near Greenwater, WA. This is a public place and I operated at a primitive but popular camp site. I operated class 1B WWA on 15 through 80 meters and had a great time. It seemed that conditions were better this year when compared to FD 2005, and the increased number of contacts reflected this. My station consisted of an R5 Vertical, a 40/80 meter dipole for East / West and another for North / South. Also used was a 10/15/20 meter dipole. I used 2 deep cycle marine batteries with the TS-850S/AT. One of the batteries was charged using solar power for the natural power bonus points. This year, the wire antennas were raised and lowered using a rope and pulley system. Additionally, my dipoles use spade connectors for band changing, connect them together to lengthen the antenna, pull them apart to shorten the antenna. To change bands, all I had to do was lower the antennas, connect or disconnect the spade connectors and raise the antennas. Band changing was quick and easy.

My personal belief concerning Field Day is that the station and all supplies for the weekend should be transported by the family vehicle. The station should be set up by one person, operated by one person, and taken down by one person. This closely approximates the conditions that would actually exist in a major distaster or other emergency.

I'll be sending a special Field Day 2006 QSL card to stations I need for Worked All States. If you worked N7DLV during Field Day and would like one, just send a SASE to N7DLV. I'll confirm the contact in my Field Day log book and send one to you.

For next year, I'm going to get a LOUDER alarm clock. I slept right through a three hour nap and woke up seven hours later. LOL.
-- N7DLV