Well this was the second year that I ventured into the wilds of my backyard for a 100% emergency powered field day.

This year I purchased a much larger, 100 watt solar charging panel + controller.  The kind of self contained system that folds into a suitcase type package for easy transport.  I also used the smaller solar panel from last year.  I also purchased a third 35AH SLA-Glass Mat Deep Cycle battery.  I rotated the three batteries between the large solar charger, small solar charger and the Icom 7000 rig used for field day.

This year I also added solar powered night lights called "Solar Puffs" and for night OPs I also had a 15 foot string of LEDs running off one of the 35AH SLA batteries that had been solar charged earlier in the day.  PLENTY of night time lighting!

Just like last year, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Not only running the station, but enjoying the company of my wife, my son and friends that showed up and listened to the Field Day radio goings-on as we enjoyed the shade under the canopy.

My backyard antennas this year were:

• 40M dipole up ~22ft
• 20M dipole up ~18ft
• 10M "Ham-Stick" dipole up ~17ft on a very wobbly PVC mast

A couple of pictures follow and I am already making plans for additional solar emergency power for 2016's Field Day.

What a great, fun event!