09/04/2002 | AA4S THE SHELBY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB GROUP HELD A GREAT FIELD DAY 2002 AT THE CLEVELAND COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, HOME OF THE GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALL HAMFEST. WE HAD ABOUT 20 TO 25 MEMEBRS AND NON-MEMBERS TO COME OUT AND SUPPORT OUR EVENT. WE HAD A GREAT COOKOUT, IS NOT FIELD DAY WITHOUT SOME TYPE OF FOOD. WE RAN IN THE 2A NC GROUP AND MADE SEVERAL CONTACTS. THE GOTA STATION WORKED OUT GREAT FOR US, WE HAD A COUPLE OF NEW HAMS FROM THE GOTA STATION AND SEVERAL OLDER HAMS GET BACK INTO THE HOBBIE. THE GOTA STATION MADE ITS 400 CONTACTS FOR US. WE HAD A GREAT CW OPERATOR IN RON BAILEY,AA4S WHO WORKED THE 40 AND 80 METER BAND THE WHOLE TIME, THANKS RON. THE HF STATION WORK ON 20 METERS AND 80 METERS THE MOST WITH SOME 10 AND 15 METER CONTACTS. WE HAD SOME GREAT CONDITIONS ON 20 AND 80 METERS. WE HAD A VHF/UHF STATION UP WITH 6 METERS THAT GOT WORKED SOME. THE CONDITIONS ON SIX METERS WERE ALRIGHT, NOT TO MUCH ON 2 METERS OR 440. WE EVEN MADE SOME CONTACTS USING A EXERCISE BIKE FOR POWER, THIS WAS VERY FUN. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK CLAUDE, NC4NC FOR ALL THE HARD WORK HE PUT INTO THIS EVENT. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE ONES WHO CAME OUT AND SUPPORTED THIS EVENT. WE HAD TWO TOWERS UP ONE ABOUT 50 FEET AND THE OTHER AROUND 30 FEET. THE 6 METER ANTENNA WAS A BEAM UP ABOUT 20 FEET. WE HAD A ARRAY OF DIFFERENT ANTENNAS FROM VERTICALS TO BEAMS TO DIPOLES. WE HAD A ATV DEMONSTRATION SETUP WHICH WENT OVER WELL. WE HAD SOME GREAT VISTORS LIKE THE CLEVELAND COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER, DEWEY COOK AND THE ARRL SECTION MANAGER JOHN COVINGTON, W4CC. WE EVEN HAD GREAT WEATHER THIS YEAR JUST A LITTLE HOT, BUT NO RAIN LIKE LAST YEAR. ONCE AGAIN I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME AND THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED PUT THIS EVENT ON. THANKS TO ROBERT, WA4QDU AND BRETT, K4BLC FOR THE PICTURES OF FIELD DAY 2002. HOPE TO HEAR FROM EVRYONE NEXT YEAR, WE'LL BE AT THE SOME PLACE AT THE SOME TIME HERE IN SHELBY, NC. SEE EVERYONE LATER, W4DWL DAVE !!! -- W4DWL