07/01/2009 | KE5VSU Field Day 2009 In Books

Poor band conditions, heat and rain were obstacles

HENLEYFIELD - Despite temperatures that hovered around 100 degrees, a Saturday afternoon thunderstorm, and band conditions that could best be described as atrocious, Pearl River County Amateur Radio Club held Field Day 2009 at the Henleyfield Community Center Pavilion, making 269 phone contacts, 106 digital contacts and 11 digital contacts. During the event, club members manned radios and computers, ate well and enjoyed fellowship with other hams.
The contact totals were lower than in previous years, but according to early reports, many other clubs had similar results. Most blamed the low contact counts on poor band conditions that made most bands a bit unstable. Others suggested that there simply seemed to be fewer hams participating this year - possibly due to the poor economy.
Using rigs including a Yaesu 897-D, an Icom 718 and a Kenwood 440 to make contacts, the local hams kept track of their contacts with laptop computers. The Yaesu 897-D was also equipped with a digital interface permitting digital communications.
During the day Saturday, the site was visited by local news reporter Ginger Schmidt of the Picayune (Miss.) Item. She was provided with a full tour of the site, and an explanation of how all the gear worked as well as the capabilities of amateur radio in helping to deal with emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina.
The group also got a visit from District Attorney Hal Kittrell - who came by to check out how hams from the area are helping to provide communications services.
While the group relied on the three-element tri-band yagi antenna it has used in previous years for much of the phone communication, a secret weapon was employed for the first time this year to help make contacts.
Barely visible unless it was pointed out, circling the Henleyfield baseball park was an 805-foot-long loop antenna strung up from the light poles surrounding the park. The loop was the brainchild of PRCARC Vice-President Larry Wagoner (N5WLW) who said, I have heard for years about how great the loops work for low-noise communications - and this year we had a perfect place to set one up and try it out. -- N5WLW