07/03/2008 | K5WHD WOW!!! The Wild Horse Desert Hams of Kleberg County, TX. had the best Field Day ever. We had to make alternate plans for our Field Day location. Normally we set up in the Kleberg County EOC and operate as a class F station. In February of 2008 the Texas Fire Service set up shop in our radio room at the EOC. They had daily meetings in the conference room and were running 24/7 monitoring Texas wild fires. Real emergencies trump Field Day every time.

The club secretary wrote letters to the Kingsville Convention and Visitor Center and the Kingsville Train Depot Museum requesting the use of their facilities for Field Day. Both venues responded that we were welcome to come set up our radios and work the 24 hours of Field Day.

The next problem for our club was to decide which location to use. We put it to a vote. That is a dangerous idea for a club. Exactly half of the club wanted to work from the Train Depot thinking it would be great fun to be calling CQ while the diesel powered engines roared by blasting their horns. The other half of the club wanted to work from the Visitor Center where they figured they could put up the best ionosphere blasting antennas possible. It was a tie vote and we sat around our club meeting room trying to figure out what to do. One of the members, who had voted to set up at the Train Depot, suddenly asked if the Visitor Center was across the road from his favorite sandwich shop. Yes, it is. He changed his vote and broke the tie. We all agreed to have some other club special event at the Train Depot later on.

The antenna committee rounded up and repaired three antennas for our use at Field Day. Lynn, WA5SWC, Ken, N5GAA, Gil, WB5RFQ, and Charles, WB5IZD, made up that technical committee. We are a pretty small group and figured we could keep two rigs going. Three HF antennas and a 2 meter rig set up on the side for demonstration would be about all we could handle. We divided up the duties of organizing for FD. Anse, W5AEW, got a great news article published in the local Kingsville Record. Dana, KE5LCX, corralled our served agency representatives to come out to our FD site. Paul, KA5WPK, was assigned the daunting task of hunting down an elected official. Unfortunately, the Mayor of Kingsville was on vacation and the balance of our elected folks were in hiding. I think ARRL needs to move Field Day to the day before election day so these elected officials would be interested in glad handing and getting our votes.

This year we would be able to run totally on emergency power without any trouble at all. Dana and Kelly, KE5LCX and KE5RII, brought their solar panel and battery. Anse, W5AEW, brought his solar panel and portable generator. Gil, WB5RFQ, brought the solar panel from his sailboat and a battery. Ken, N5GAA, brought another portable generator. We had the power problem licked in a flash.

Larry, KA5JBZ, Ken, N5GAA, and Paul, KA5WPK, brought folding tables and items needed for the setup. Anse, W5AEW, brought his grill and everyone brought pot luck for eats. Rod, W5GET, rescued the late night shift by bringing breakfast in at sunrise.

It took a bit of doing but everything came together in plenty of time for Field Day. The Visitor Center was packed with amateur radio operators and assorted visitors. We had our club banner across the front of the Visitor Center and folks stopped by just to see what the excitement was all about.

Ken A., KE5OZD, Milton, KE5LCX, Lynn B., K5AVJ, Nancy, KE5RIF, Erik, KE5UHV, and Joe, KD5CZM, made sure the rigs were manned. Pat, KD5TXD, tried her hand and CW in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Kate, KE5LCW, Shirley, WB5TXQ, and Don(who prefers GHz), K5DYY, cheered the operation and offered moral support.

We have a lot of newer hams in our community. Soon as the solar panels were set up, the antennas secured, the cable arranged in safe order and the rigs powered up we tried to get the newer folks on the radio. It didnt take long for them to be logging QSOs like pros. We struggled with poor band conditions and pile ups but did very well for our little group. Nearly all of our club members came out to enjoy the Field Day. Some could only stay a little while and some spent the whole night. There were cheers and whoops when contacts were made in Canada, Hawaii and Alaska. None of our members are big contest folks.

Long about sunset we fired up the grill and had hamburgers, grilled chicken, and hot dogs. We enjoyed potato salads and sweet treats baked by the Visitor Center volunteers. There were cold drinks and hot coffee for the duration of the event.

By the end of the Field Day event we were all exhausted and ready to pull down the equipment. However, we left thinking of what we could do for next years Field Day. Many thanks to our host served agency, the Kingsville Convention and Visitor Center for opening their doors and hearts to a bunch of amateur radio operators. Now we are gearing up for the great Kingsville 4th of July parade (4th of July is Kingsvilles birthday). When we counted up our visitors, our bonus points and our contacts, this was the BEST Field Day ever for the Wild Horse Desert Hams of Kleberg County, Texas. 73 to all!! Pat KD5TXD -- KD5TXD