07/10/2003 | W4GS The Spirit Of Field Day
--- Tom Palmieri - K2PJ

The Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club (GSARC) , W4GS, held its Field Day 2003 exercise on the grounds of the American Red Cross, Horry County Chapter Offices, Myrtle Beach, SC. As we all know, Field Day is an annual event for the Amateur Radio community. Field Day tests our ability to provide communications under simulated emergency conditions. The GSARC used emergency generator power and alternative (solar) power to run its radio equipment. K2PJ (Tom) and K4TSU (Gene) decided to try something different this year a Flagpole vertical on 40 meters. What better way to demonstrate the adaptability, ingenuity and resourcefulness of Amateur Radio? Sure ham radio operators use flagpoles, but this was spur of the moment, it just happened to be there and besides, it was Field Day. The sidewalk leading up to the front entrance of the Red Cross offices is graced by a spun aluminum flagpole approximately 30 feet tall and 4 inches in diameter. The flagpole is supported by two 4 x 4 treated wood studs embedded in concrete. Two long bolts hold the flagpole in place and allow it to be lowered when necessary. The center conductor of a length of RG58 was attached to the cleat on the flagpole. The RG58 shield was attached to four random (>35 ft) length radials. A quick check with an MFJ antenna analyzer proved the antenna would operate across the 40M band without a tuner. How did it perform? The 40M station ran 100W CW and managed to contact just about every Field Day station it called. If we spent more time on the antenna (radials, attention to the feedpoint, feedline, etc.), it would have surely played even better. We were amazed and impressed at the results just the same. Once we decided to give it a try, it took K2PJ, K4TSU, N4XML and KG4JUT a total of 20 minutes to scrounge the coax and radial wire, and get the antenna on the air. The antenna and the Amateur Radio ingenuity behind if made the local TV news at 6:00 and 11:00 pm June 28th. N2ZZ (Dr. Jim) and AE4UX (Charlie) were equally impressed during their visit. We understand that K4TSU has his eyes on a metal chimney for Field Day 2004 !

Field Day thats what its all about.....73 ! -- K2PJ