07/09/2006 | W8NP Thanks to lots of hard work by many club members Field Day 2006 was another big success with everyone enjoying good company, really nice weather, lots of contacts, some especially great food and loads of FUN !. From setup Saturday morning to teardown Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed yet another great weekend communications exercise.

(June 24, 2005) -- Setup on Saturday morning went really smooth thanks to many years of experience and practice. Club EComm Trailer in place and station setup, antennas on the pneumatic mast, secondary tower, phone & CW stations were up and ready to go well before the 2:00 p.m. start time. Computer logging is ready and we are officially set to go. If this were an actual emergency situation, we've already proved we can set up and establish a solid communications station in less than ideal conditions.

Each year our primary goal is to out perform the previous years event and that everyone gets a chance to operate regardless of skill level. We are glad to report a solid score by the end of the weekend with many newer club members stepping up to operate. The weather was nearly perfect for this years event with moderate temperatures and low humidity. Wow, what did we do to deserve this !

Our main CW station was operated by our two first rate operators Perry - W8AU and our resident Secret Weapon Igor - K8INN. Perry was absent during last years event and Igor had to handle the station almost completely solo. We were glad Perry was back with us this year. These two Herculean operators combined to keep the old bencher paddles smoking throughout the event. But, Field Day is also about learning and both encouraged many of our younger members to gain some great contest experience and overcome the fear of the key. I saw many smiles from folks who made their first Morse code Field Day contacts. Yes, this really is what it's all about.

The main phone station in the trailer is always a flurry of activity. Along the main operations console is our HF phone station with operator and logger. The secondary console includes both 6 & 2 meter VHF stations. Thanks to good antenna's and station setup we were usually able to work..em if we heard..em, which makes for a fun time. Headphones for all operators keep the noise level to a mild roar. Our 50 foot pneumatic mast make raising the wire & VHF antenna's a snap. Once raised the mast will stay at full height for the entire weekend without any additional air.

Our VHF stations were kept busy over the weekend as band conditions opeded up several times. Even if you're not a die hard contester Field Day is an event for all operators. There's a certain excitement about making a contact with another FD station that is hard to describe. Just look at the faces of some of our operators to get an idea.

The GOTA or Get On The Air station has also done well over the past several years and has given newer club members a chance to experience Field Day from a more relaxed perspective. I know for some of us "old Timers", this is nothing new but for a newly licensed amateur a Field Day contact is something you will remember and always provides incentive to upgrade.

Community interest in our Field Day exercise is always high and we thank this years visitors Brian Carbenia from the Stark County Emergency Management Agency along with Massillon Police Department Captain Joseph Herrick, WD8BGW and Perry Township Police Officer Tim France, WB8HHP both MARC members. As always we thank our hosts for the weekend, Stark County Parks and Recreation Department who stopped by to check up on us and who always gives permission for us to operate from there the entire weekend. We are one of very few groups who have been given this consideration but they understand and support Amateur Radio and are glad to assist us with this weekend exercise.

Field Day is also about demonstrating our hobby to the public, that's one reason we setup at Petro's Park. Many visitors dropped by after reading about our event in the local newspapers. People are always fascinated by our hobby and Field Day gives us the perfect opportunity to "show off" our abilities and what we do best. Our information table contained news about Field Day, our club activities within our community, pictures of the club in action and Certificates of Appreciation from several local civic organizations. We also demonstrated Winlink 2000 from our Field Day site. Messages were sent to our Section Manager and several county agencies detailing our weekend event. This year the Winlink community also exchanged Field Day greetings to stations all over the United States and Mexico. Nearly 50 stations participated this year again showing the effectiveness of this new emergency communications mode.

Field Day is also about learning. Could you setup and begin operating on short notice ? Many of our younger members learned first hand how to string wire antenna's, erect a tower, proper grounding and operating skills, all great training for emergency situations that really prove our net worth to the community.

We also held our now annual Fox Hunt at the Field Day site. The park affords many great locations to hide our several fox transmitters and provides yet another way for members to improve their operating skills. Even the non-licensed person can take part in this event.

A highly active Field Day group like ours also looks forward to yet another great Field Day tradition ... The Great Field Day Feast !. Head chef Rodger, KA8FTS with help from several other club members cooked up a fine batch of burgers and hot dogs. Club members supplied all the other great foods that go with this type of event, baked beans, pasta salad, potato salad, and plenty of munchies and some great desserts. Thanks to club Treasurer Anne - N8GAF we also were able to have some great rigatoni, potatoes and sausage left over from a recent wedding reception. Can a feast possibility get any better, I can't think how. This is also our time of fellowship among our many friends and family, and it all comes together for a perfect summer time evening event.

As darkness falls on Saturday night the true "Die-Hards" take over to keep the stations humming throughout the night racking up contacts. Led by Scott, N3JJT and Igor, K8INN, Michelle, KC8ZEJ, Bob, N8DVS plus a select few, we had a great midnight operating crew. Let's not forget Sunday morning breakfast either. Club members Don, W8DEF and Linda, K8MOO always know how to get us back on track for a busy Sunday afternoon by serving up a great breakfast complete with eggs, sausage, pancakes, coffee and juice. This extra effort sure pays off and keeps us going until afternoon tear down.

Have I forgotten anything ? Probably. It's hard to recapture the fun of a Field Day weekend in only a few paragraphs. If you didn't make it over the weekend you missed a great club event filled with lots of fun. We especially thank the many members who came back at tear down to lend a hand. This was our biggest crowd ever !

I heard it said by a visitor that they thought we had about the nicest bunch of Field Day folks that had ever visited. I think that comment really says it all. Great weather, great operating, great food, great friends. That sounds like the makings of a great Field Day and a great club !. Visit us at www.marcradio.org. -- N8ATZ