2002 ARRL Field Day
06/28/2002 |
N8CPA
Due to a life-long physical condition exacerbated by middle-age, I decided that I just wasn't physically up to the rigors of setting up, operating in primitive conditions, then tearing down. As a result, this year's Field Day presented me with several firsts. It was the first time I ever opted for Class D operation when a NICE site was available for Class A. It was also the first time I operated alone and made all contacts without using a microphone.
I did not want 2002 to be a year without a Field Day. And that's exactly what it would feel like if I put only one HF signal on the air. So, I had to come up with a second HF antenna for my home station. With my limited agility, I was afraid I'd get stuck under my house if I tried to run an additional feed line through the crawl space. I had to think of a way to do it with minimal physical exertion and risk. Then, that little invisible lightbulb over my head suddenly flashed on!
When I installed my VHF/UHF discone antenna, the literature, if I remembered correctly, had indicated it would transmit reliably over 25MHz-1.5GHz. At the time, I had experimented to see how it loaded on lower frequencies--SWR only, not launch angles. My tests had shown rig-safe SWR measurements down to 40 meters. So, on Friday afternoon, I connected my TS-50 to a TNC at one end and the discone at the other. I tried a couple of connections. Running 10 Watts, I was able to directly connect to NET105 PBBSs in Wisconsin and Nova Scotia on 20 meters. My second HF antenna problem was thereby proven nonexistent.
The next problem was station logistics. I intended to use my primary rig, an IC735, for CW. My secondary, a TS50, running no more than 10W, would be used for Packet. The 735 would use the R-7 vertical; the TS50, the discone. I had already planned to use my laptop for logging, even though a large desktop computer is located a 90 degree chair rotation left of my radio desk. By laptop logging I could log without taking my hand off the paddle. The desktop would be dedicated to packet operation. I would only break away from the CW position if the connection alarm sounded. Then, I would rotate left, send the packet exchange on the desktop, complete the contact, then turn back to the desk to log and resume pounding brass.
With the gear and the plan in place, I was QRV for FD2002. At 17:59:30 UTC on Saturday afternoon, I locked the IC735 onto a clear 15 meter CW freq. I sent the test message I always send for a first portable operation test transmission, "What hath God wrought! DE N8CPA" The TS50 was tuned to 14.091, the packet beacon programmed to send "CQ FD DE N8CPA." At 1800:00:00 UTC, with my left hand I launched the first Packet CQ FD, with my right hand I started the CW beacon.
Through 18 of the next 24 hours--yes, I took time off to sleep--I was keying and logging, logging and keying. Between CW Qs, I could hear the tree-toad chirp of the 300 baud packet beacon sidetone, cycling every 40 seconds.
It wasn't quite the sound of crickets I prefer. And the smell of chicken soup cooking in the kitchen wasn't quite the heady, aromatic mixture of generator exhaust and campfire smoke that I always enjoy. Truth be told, I even somewhat missed slapping mosquitoes with my left hand while keying with the right. But, even though no one ever answered the packet beacon, I logged 250 valid Qs--Hey look, no microphone! In other words, I had a Field Day!
[Pounding brass still kicks .- ... ...] -- N8CPA
I did not want 2002 to be a year without a Field Day. And that's exactly what it would feel like if I put only one HF signal on the air. So, I had to come up with a second HF antenna for my home station. With my limited agility, I was afraid I'd get stuck under my house if I tried to run an additional feed line through the crawl space. I had to think of a way to do it with minimal physical exertion and risk. Then, that little invisible lightbulb over my head suddenly flashed on!
When I installed my VHF/UHF discone antenna, the literature, if I remembered correctly, had indicated it would transmit reliably over 25MHz-1.5GHz. At the time, I had experimented to see how it loaded on lower frequencies--SWR only, not launch angles. My tests had shown rig-safe SWR measurements down to 40 meters. So, on Friday afternoon, I connected my TS-50 to a TNC at one end and the discone at the other. I tried a couple of connections. Running 10 Watts, I was able to directly connect to NET105 PBBSs in Wisconsin and Nova Scotia on 20 meters. My second HF antenna problem was thereby proven nonexistent.
The next problem was station logistics. I intended to use my primary rig, an IC735, for CW. My secondary, a TS50, running no more than 10W, would be used for Packet. The 735 would use the R-7 vertical; the TS50, the discone. I had already planned to use my laptop for logging, even though a large desktop computer is located a 90 degree chair rotation left of my radio desk. By laptop logging I could log without taking my hand off the paddle. The desktop would be dedicated to packet operation. I would only break away from the CW position if the connection alarm sounded. Then, I would rotate left, send the packet exchange on the desktop, complete the contact, then turn back to the desk to log and resume pounding brass.
With the gear and the plan in place, I was QRV for FD2002. At 17:59:30 UTC on Saturday afternoon, I locked the IC735 onto a clear 15 meter CW freq. I sent the test message I always send for a first portable operation test transmission, "What hath God wrought! DE N8CPA" The TS50 was tuned to 14.091, the packet beacon programmed to send "CQ FD DE N8CPA." At 1800:00:00 UTC, with my left hand I launched the first Packet CQ FD, with my right hand I started the CW beacon.
Through 18 of the next 24 hours--yes, I took time off to sleep--I was keying and logging, logging and keying. Between CW Qs, I could hear the tree-toad chirp of the 300 baud packet beacon sidetone, cycling every 40 seconds.
It wasn't quite the sound of crickets I prefer. And the smell of chicken soup cooking in the kitchen wasn't quite the heady, aromatic mixture of generator exhaust and campfire smoke that I always enjoy. Truth be told, I even somewhat missed slapping mosquitoes with my left hand while keying with the right. But, even though no one ever answered the packet beacon, I logged 250 valid Qs--Hey look, no microphone! In other words, I had a Field Day!
[Pounding brass still kicks .- ... ...] -- N8CPA
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