2006 ARRL Field Day
06/26/2006 |
KD8BSR
Saturday:
I ran with the scenario of a sudden "disaster", no warning, no preparation.
1800 GMT - started getting things together and loading the van.
1845 GMT - hit the road.
1910 GMT - arrived at my first choice, a small park overlooking the Ohio. I decided it looked reasonable so I grabbed a picnic table shaded by a nearby tree and proceeded to set up.
1934 GMT - operational in 6 metres: IC-551D to a bent-back-on-itself copper-pipe dipole 12 ft. up on a pair of metal poles.
1939 GMT - first 6-metre contact.
6 was bangin', which greatly slowed my HF setup.
2015 GMT - operational in HF: TS-440S/AT to about 30 ft. of wire, its far end some 15 ft. up in the tree.
2023 GMT - first HF contact.
2325 GMT - added more ground/counterpoise for HF.
0130-0145 GMT - twilight shading to night.
0152 GMT - final HF contact.
0155 GMT - started taking down HF setup.
0219 GMT - final 6-metre contact.
0225 GMT - started taking down 6-metre setup.
0238 GMT - left the park.
It was a breezy, warm day, about 27C when I started, very pleasant into the mid-evening as it cooled to about 20C.
I made 60 "valid" contacts in a rather leisurely manner.
A few people wandered by, curious, and I showed 'em what I was doing. One asked if it was "CB". Heh. Nope.
Stuff I didn't have that I needed: a light. Dur.
Stuff I should have had but didn't: a grounding rod. I looked for something that would do before I left home and didn't find.
Stuff that proved essential: string and wire ties.
I thoroughly enjoyed it!
KD8BSR - 1B Ohio -- KD8BSR
I ran with the scenario of a sudden "disaster", no warning, no preparation.
1800 GMT - started getting things together and loading the van.
1845 GMT - hit the road.
1910 GMT - arrived at my first choice, a small park overlooking the Ohio. I decided it looked reasonable so I grabbed a picnic table shaded by a nearby tree and proceeded to set up.
1934 GMT - operational in 6 metres: IC-551D to a bent-back-on-itself copper-pipe dipole 12 ft. up on a pair of metal poles.
1939 GMT - first 6-metre contact.
6 was bangin', which greatly slowed my HF setup.
2015 GMT - operational in HF: TS-440S/AT to about 30 ft. of wire, its far end some 15 ft. up in the tree.
2023 GMT - first HF contact.
2325 GMT - added more ground/counterpoise for HF.
0130-0145 GMT - twilight shading to night.
0152 GMT - final HF contact.
0155 GMT - started taking down HF setup.
0219 GMT - final 6-metre contact.
0225 GMT - started taking down 6-metre setup.
0238 GMT - left the park.
It was a breezy, warm day, about 27C when I started, very pleasant into the mid-evening as it cooled to about 20C.
I made 60 "valid" contacts in a rather leisurely manner.
A few people wandered by, curious, and I showed 'em what I was doing. One asked if it was "CB". Heh. Nope.
Stuff I didn't have that I needed: a light. Dur.
Stuff I should have had but didn't: a grounding rod. I looked for something that would do before I left home and didn't find.
Stuff that proved essential: string and wire ties.
I thoroughly enjoyed it!
KD8BSR - 1B Ohio -- KD8BSR
Back
