06/30/2008 | KI4YPR 28 JUNE 08


Once again its Field Day. We have been waiting patiently all year for this moment. Most of the club arrived at the Field Day location on time as planned. Upon the arrival of 12pm EST, we began our set up for the 27 hour event. As planed, the participating club members began the plan of set up. Everyone brought equipment and placed it all in a pile. Then the Field Day Committee decided on what class and classification of our Field Day operation will be. Then jobs were issued to the club members for the setup. The club decided on a one transmitter (1) station on backup power (A).

Two people were assigned antenna installation (Tom NJ1K and Mark KJ4Y). They erected a five band vertical (with 32 ground radials) and an 80 meter co-linear dipole. PICS The second group (Tony KB4ZGO and BOB KF4YOW) prepared the operating station and power requirements. PICS
At 220pm EST we are on the air and making contacts.

Operations went well into the night and the next morning. We had a few visitors on Saturday and Sunday, in which they all helped out with making contacts and other chores assigned. Dinner was served at 8pm and what a good meal it was.

Here is Mark and Tony in the wee ours of Saturday night making digital contacts.


Here is Mark still making digital and CW contacts into the Sunday morning hours.



29 JUNE 08

Nice band conditions this morning! 40 and 80 meters are jumping in these hours.

We started setting up field day at 12 noon June 27 and started with pitching a shelter to operate from. While a few of us was working on this others were working on installing a multi- band vertical. The installed ground mounted vertical took a while due to the added support of a radial plated and installing 32 radials. Must include the layout of the near 100 ft of hardline used on the vertical.



Equipment is in place and nearly ready to Start!!!!



about 1:30 pm June 27 the 80 meter co-linear dipole was being installed. The usefulness of a bow and arrow was a great help. fact the official start time of field day began and we were still deploying the final portion of the dipole. But once the feed point was installed and antenna check for problems we started to operate.







As the day progressed we had a visitor arrive and shocked us. We were glad to have a visitor with us on this field day. Giving the guest a chance to learn a little about our club and ourselves.



Finally time to chow down.. What a great menu.. BBQ grilled Chicken and all the trimmings . YUM!!!!



Now that we are fueled up time to set in and start making more Q's . The bands were extremely active. bouncing around from 10 meters and then working down the bands 15, 20 and 40 and finally 80 meters. Kept our selves busy till late evening.





Now Late night has set in and again we get a late night visitor who set in and played radio with us...



Finally some of the members started to fall a sleep behind the radio and knew it was time to hit the sheets.. Time about 2:30 am Sunday Morning .



SUN up Sunday Morning checking on the contacts and WOW !! What a mixture of modes. SSB, CW, PSK31 and I believe RTTY.



8 am breakfast is being prepared in the kitchen and coffee is on!! Time to Fuel up again and back to the contacts.



A return Visitor came back again about 9 am and sat in and asked questions about PSK31 and how it works.. AMAZING !!!!





10 am copied the ARRL Field day message for Bonus points...



about 11:30 Am Club member came back with his wife and sat in on a few contacts while Lunch was being prepared. 12:15 -12:30 LUNCH is served. AND we got another Visitor !!!

We took a break from making contacts and had lunch.



Crunch time Close to the end time of Field day and the the dreaded tare down.



TIME is up Field day is over and tare down began at about 2:45 Pm Sunday June 28. 4:45 Pm final tare down complete is done and equipment is packed and building is secure and time to head home..



WHAT A WONDERFUL FIELD DAY 2008!!!
-- KJ4Y