[Ccarc] Bitten by the bug at Field Day 2007

Thu Apr 12 20:34:20 EDT 2007

Greetings ya'll!! 

    At long last I can officially say that Field Day 2007 is now underway. Planning and such has been in place and in the process for a while. As already noted, Don K9EQT has graciously volunteered his back field for our location making this a third annual event at this location. In speaking with Don about the field itself I have to admit it probably would have made for a pretty nice landing strip for a Piper Cub. Anyway, I'm getting off track.....
    As always the invitations have been sent and went out April 2nd. I will have a sample of what was sent at the meeting the 21st. I had the opportunity to speak to Mayor Fincher after he received his. He noted to me that the invitation was almost a full page but four words caught his attention. "Bitten by the bug" This is the official slogan of this year's field day and something most if not all of us can relate to. At one time we were all bitten by the bug we call amateur radio. Field day is our opportunity to show friends, neighbors, and anyone that wants to know more about how we play radio and for that matter how we got bitten by the bug. 
    I've asked a few times already but I will ask again. Ideas, ideas ideas....I'm never ever in a position that I have too many ideas to try or too many to give consideration to. Many times it seems I'm doing the better portion of the thinking!! At this point we're toying with a few things. The game plan seems to be as per normal, two HF stations, the VHF/UHF station and a GOTA station. The part we're toying with is the use of an amplifier. This is something we haven't done for some time. The idea and the concept is the same. The only part that's different is we're pushing 700 or 800 watts through the bobtail curtain and WE are the station people are trying to contact. From what I'm told it can be great fun working those pileups. I'm also aware of a couple fairly new voices that I think would have a great time operating this year. Not to mention they're both female voices giving an added twist to the norm. Anna KC9IDO as a General and Marisa KC9JFU as a Technician, this will be the first opportunity either will be operating as licenced hams!! I'm also told that Dan KV9N might have his niece here again this year. Last year she got a HUGE kick operating on 20M. I watched her operate and she had some mini pileups working now and then but worked through them very well. Fortunately she has a very capable and veteran operator in her Uncle, not to mention I think he's kinda proud of her too. Ok, to recap for those of you playing the home game, that's three female voices that can really help the contacts grow. The other HF station I plan on working 20 and or 80. We had pretty good luck with PSK last year and others had great fun working some CW with this station as well. I'm thinking that this could work out nicely this way. The only "issue" that we can see is filtering the high power station from the second station. the GOTA station and or the vhf/uhf station. This is where some of the more experienced people can help me out as I've not had any experience in high power stations. 
    When you have an idea that I say Ok go ahead lets go with it, I expect you to not only help but help lead that idea to it's completion. This is all of our field day not mine. I need help in the planning stages, not just the setup, operation and teardown. Email me with ideas, tell me about them.....and make me write it down so I don't forget! I will be asking folks to get things checked out, tested and tuned up if necessary and have it completed BY mid May. Unfortunately I'll be highly dependent on some of the retired guys for this as well as those Friday evening work sessions. I will be available most evenings and the Fridays I can be there when I'm not driving. If we have something that's not working we have time to fix it or at least we have a backup plan in place before we need it. Todd this means get to working on the lift now before you forget. 
    There you have it, things are still up in the air.....sort of. We pretty much know where we want to go and how we want to get there but we are still far enough out to change things if we want. I'm looking for this Field Day to be just a bit bigger and better than last year but I'll need EVERYONE'S help to make this a successful Field Day. I'm stoked!!! Every year from now until Field day I get reminded every year how much fun it is being bitten by the bug!! Now it's time to share it with the public!  

73, 
Chuck Hendrickson N9PMW
President CCARC
http://www.culcom.net/~ccarcinc
ARRL Ham Radio's National Association
http://www.arrl.org
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