07/05/2009 | K6TS Livermore CA The Livermore Amateur Radio Klub (LARK) operated FD2009 at Robertson Park in Livermore, in the parking lot next to the Rodeo Arena. The klub decided to use this location instead of the K6LRG contesting site because of the better public access. That didn't seem to matter, as temperatures in the 100's kept the public away. In spite of some advanced publicity for the event, the site only had 23 visitors, most of which were either klub members that were not participating and their XYLs and/or harmonics, or the XYLs and/or harmonics of the klub members that were. We did get visits from John Rabold KS6M, the ARRL DEC for Alameda County, the Pacific Division Director, Bob Vallio W6RGG, and the East Bay Section Manager, Jim Lantham AF6AQ. According to Chris Tate, N6WM, the Field Day co-ordinator for LARK, we had a total of 1,464 QSOs. With the bonus points that we qualified for, we had a total score of 4,450! This was not as good as last year, but we were only operating 4A this time instead of 5E, and the Robertson Park site is much lower than the K6LRG site and we also had 5 fewer participants, but still not a bad showing. I am hoping that next year, it won't be quite as hot and I can get the publicity cranked out sooner to get more visitors and perhaps get some GOTA station action. Til 2010, 73! -- K6CKT