2009 ARRL Field Day
07/01/2009 |
W7NYE
The Adventures of the Star Ship: Pahrump
(aka Field Day 2009)
Star date: 090627. This is the continuing story of a local group of Ham Operators living in a small town near Las Vegas, looking to contact new life forms in the airwaves of outer space. Once a year, a small band of brave men and women gathers in this community, pulling out trailers, hooking up antennas and tuning radios. As antennas are positioned high on top of fire truck ladders, banners are being erected to note the most recent location chosen to launch Star Ship Pahrump. This year the courageous group of Pahrumpoids gathered at the local Emergency Operations Center to strap into the radio room, anticipating the next twenty-four hours of exciting contesting. Well, if its not exciting at least its cooler than in previous years. Normally the star ship sits on the launch pad (i.e., at a parking lot in the middle of town) in about 112 heat. But this year, the team is indoors, ready, willing and able to launch into space and capture those elusive radio waves from around their planet.
Today, W7NYE has 4 radios in use at our local Emergency Operations Center. Early in the journey, the lunar modular (also known as a toy hauler) was launched and put into operation as one of the locations to use for contesting. Two of the four radios encountered some alien viruses early in the day and were taken out of service, but we continued with the two remaining units. This year we had contacts on CW (a very strange language indeed) which had not been viable in past voyages. Although few contacts were established, the technology still survives.
There were approximately 150 contacts made ranging from far off places such as Hawaii, British Columbia, Alberta and California. No alien life forms were found, but it was noted that there are some strange people populating this planet.
One team member managed to smuggle on board a small barbeque, and hot dogs were passed around before Mission Control could terminate this activity.
The star ship landed on 090628 at approximately 12:00 pm, (1900 UTC). The team survived the last 24 hours and are now waiting for decontamination (a good hot shower), some food and a well deserved rest.
Until next year, these are the continuing voyages of the Star Ship Pahrump.
73s. -- KE7KHD
(aka Field Day 2009)
Star date: 090627. This is the continuing story of a local group of Ham Operators living in a small town near Las Vegas, looking to contact new life forms in the airwaves of outer space. Once a year, a small band of brave men and women gathers in this community, pulling out trailers, hooking up antennas and tuning radios. As antennas are positioned high on top of fire truck ladders, banners are being erected to note the most recent location chosen to launch Star Ship Pahrump. This year the courageous group of Pahrumpoids gathered at the local Emergency Operations Center to strap into the radio room, anticipating the next twenty-four hours of exciting contesting. Well, if its not exciting at least its cooler than in previous years. Normally the star ship sits on the launch pad (i.e., at a parking lot in the middle of town) in about 112 heat. But this year, the team is indoors, ready, willing and able to launch into space and capture those elusive radio waves from around their planet.
Today, W7NYE has 4 radios in use at our local Emergency Operations Center. Early in the journey, the lunar modular (also known as a toy hauler) was launched and put into operation as one of the locations to use for contesting. Two of the four radios encountered some alien viruses early in the day and were taken out of service, but we continued with the two remaining units. This year we had contacts on CW (a very strange language indeed) which had not been viable in past voyages. Although few contacts were established, the technology still survives.
There were approximately 150 contacts made ranging from far off places such as Hawaii, British Columbia, Alberta and California. No alien life forms were found, but it was noted that there are some strange people populating this planet.
One team member managed to smuggle on board a small barbeque, and hot dogs were passed around before Mission Control could terminate this activity.
The star ship landed on 090628 at approximately 12:00 pm, (1900 UTC). The team survived the last 24 hours and are now waiting for decontamination (a good hot shower), some food and a well deserved rest.
Until next year, these are the continuing voyages of the Star Ship Pahrump.
73s. -- KE7KHD
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