08/20/2005 | W8PIG W8PIG Field Day Adventure!
Brian Murrey, KB9BVN, (FP# -57)

The Flying Pigs QRP Club International invaded Caesar's Creek State Park in Waynesville Ohio for Field Day 2005.

We had 14 or so active participants and 9 total operators. Being a QRP Club we were logging mainly CW contacts. However, Judith KC8BOM and Robert WA1FXT drove down from near Cleveland with a fabulous homemade 6m Quad. This antenna along with a couple of field made dipoles served the group well all weekend. Our major obstacle this weekend was the oppressive Ohio heat. We saw temps in the upper 90's all weekend, and night time it dipped into the low 70's.

When we first arrived on Friday, we found ALL the picnic tables had been stacked in the fire ring and burned by whoever had been camping there the day before. I called the park office and within an hour or so they were on the spot with a couple new picnic tables. Luckily WB8ABE and WB6JBM had the good sense to bring a couple of their own tables "just in case".

Our CW operating rigs were Elecraft K2's working one 88ft dipole and a 110ft dipole. The 6m QRP rig was on the Quad.

Logging was a breeze this year, as we were using the N3FJP Field Day logging software. Very very nice.

Being camped in the Horseman Campground we were able to demonstrate Amateur Radio to about 25 different folks that were using the public bridle trails.

This year our Field Day team was made from hams traveling to the site from three different states. We know how to have a good time! Among the group was Perry WA8THK from Flint Michigan, Mike WB8ICN from Jackson MI, Brian KB9BVN from New Whiteland Indiana, ringleader Rick WB6JBM from Ohio (many Ohio hams were on the scene) along with Randy WV9N, Ryan NZ0Z, Tom K8CZ, Phil WB8ABE, Matthew AA9YH, Hank N8XX, Bink KB8JRB, Matt K8KLP, Judith KC8BOM and Robert WA1FXT. The Flying Pigs are always a GREAT group to go to the field with.

Power was provided by a number of marine type batteries, being topped off by a homebrew gasoline genset every three or four hours. As usual the food was tasty and bountiful. We look forward to the ARRL Field Day event in 2006, plans are underway already.

73 de W8PIG -- KB9BVN