Field Day 2007
is now history —
and what a memorable event it was!
Historically, Field Day is an annual event sponsored by the ARRL (American
Radio Relay League). In his article, Mythology - Amateur Radio Style — ARRL
Field Day 2005, on the ARRL Web site (http://www.arrl.org/members-only/contests/results/2005/FD/),
Dan Henderson, N1ND, states that
"[Field Day's] origins go back to 1933 when it was started as "a test of the emergency availability of portable stations and equipment," (F.E. Handy in QST, [June] 1933) and today it has transformed into a broad demonstration of what our hobby has to offer to community officials, served agencies and individuals in times of communication's need."
As the cover of the June 1956 QST at right shows, Field Day tests the ability of ham radio operators to set up radio stations wherever they are needed under less than optimum conditions and maintain operation for 24 hours. And while we recognize the "contest" aspect of Field Day, the ultimate goal is to demonstrate our ability to provide message communications in times of emergency without dependence on the normal sources of energy; i.e., electric power or telephone.
Many of us who were in ham radio back in the days of that QST edition remember when Field Day meant dragging out all those heavy 120V boat anchor receivers and transmitters and powering them by gasoline generator. If we were really lucky (and not a 12 year-old novice—formerly WN8ATG—in 1954), we might even have had a mobile rig that ran on 12V. Antennas were strung between any convenient trees, often without much regard for impedance matching or SWR minimization. Getting to live in a tent for a night or two was a lot of fun and a mere kid could sit at a CW key among all those adults and not feel like a mere kid! Of course, those also were the days of the Cold War and Civil Defense drills in school, and so we understood that this emergency communications drill that we were participating in might someday actually be used!
That same spirit was alive and well in Field Day 2007!
The intervening years, between the early days of Field Day and the present, have not dampened the spirit nor the dedication of ham radio operators. As has been done throughout the history of our hobby, GVARC members provided transceivers, antennas, coax, batteries, solar panels, labor, and, most importantly, FOOD for the event. It was, in a sense, just like "the good old days"—setting up tables, raising antennas, stringing power cables, dealing with challenges—and enjoying the delights of the chow line.
In other ways, however, we were glad "the good old days" were behind us. The
equipment we use today is much more sophisticated and power-friendly than those
old boat anchor rigs. The use of generators—and their associated logistic
requirements—is much reduced. And while the goals of Field Day remain pretty
much the same as always, some of our
members
are "a bit" older now, and so we decided to forego the "pleasures" of outdoor
living. Instead, the Green Valley Fire Department graciously made available to
us accommodations in the Green Valley Fire District Headquarters Building at S.
Camino del Sol and Camino Encanto, shown at left. With June afternoon
temperatures hovering in the 100° to 109° range, the air conditioning and other
amenities of the facility were greatly appreciated. Our very special thanks go
out to Chief Simon Davis for allowing us to use the GVFDH building!
Naturally, much planning went into making Field Day 2007 a success. Lloyd Miller, N7GV, Lou Navarro, WE7TYP, George and Anne Birch, AD7DH and W7IRL, and Gerry Cermak, K8YVU, supplied the majority of the transceivers, accessories, batteries, solar panels, and expertise. President Gene Schouweiler, WØKAD, designed, made, and installed most of the brackets and mast sections needed to keep the antennas in (and on) the air. John Mitchell, AC7JM, provided the logging software, associated training, and overall scoring computations. Dick Palmer, W7KAM, took care of the paperwork package. And, of course, thanks go out to Bob Roquet, KE7CCS, for creating and overseeing the operating schedules and planning the food.
Operating position power 20-meter beam/40-meter vertical Solar panels - battery charging
How it all came together!
Around 1600 Friday afternoon all of the various pieces of equipment were brought to the site. Work crews were already in place to arrange tables and chairs into operating positions, food tables, and a visitor information center. While one group brought in the batteries, another group set to work assembling the 20-15-10 meter beam, while still a third group set up the 75-80 meter long wire antenna supports and antenna. A fourth group was at work inside completing the operating position wiring. Because the afternoon temperature was supposed to be around 109°, the decision was made to delay raising the beam and 40 meter vertical and performing any other outside ground and roof work until Saturday morning at 0630.
Last year the set up work was not completed until after dark; this year everything that would be done was finished by about 1800 local time. That gave us plenty of time to collect our spouses and adjourn to the Longhorn Grill for dinner. About 20 people were present for that time of fellowship and fine dining. I can attest that the all-you-can-eat beer-battered catfish (Friday night special) was DELICIOUS! Hopefully we can look forward to dining out together again next year!
Setup completed!
By 0400 Saturday, 23 June, the first hint of dawn could be seen in the east. Already the temperature was well into the upper 70s. Official sunrise would not occur until 0519; by then, however, several households would be stirring in anticipation of completing the Field Day setup. At the appointed hour of 0630 the crew assembled at GVFD Headquarters. They raised the antennas, checked coax connections, attached antenna leads to the transceivers at the operating positions, and completed the final on-air checks.
The contest begins!
By the time Field Day officially began at 1800Z (1100 local) Saturday, quite a number of club members had gathered. Four operating positions were available: 20-15-10 meters, 75-80 meters, 40 meters, and 6 meters. Each position required an operator and a logger, and this year calls were made and answered using the new GVARC call sign, WE7GV.
6 meters 40 meters 20-15-10 meters
If the pictures look a little dark, it's because we found out early in the day that the overhead fluorescent lights were adding to the already noisy 20 meter band conditions. Turning the lights off resulted in a noise drop of 2-3 S units.
As the contest progressed, operators and loggers settled into a routine. The 20-15-10 meter operating position was the most flexible. When band conditions on 20 meters were not great, the other two bands could be used to advantage. There is always a question about the most effective strategy to use for contesting. Should the strategy be to sit on one frequency and call CQ? Or is it better to wander the band, answering others who are calling CQ? Most of the time personal preference seems to prevail.
A welcome break occurred at 1300 on Saturday as the potluck
commenced. There was a fantastic array of food available: a great cold cuts
plate, fresh rolls, salads, dishes of all kinds. And the deserts! Sticky buns,
brownies, cakes, cookies, cobbler. WOW! There is nothing like great quantities
of good food to bring people together. Even our EMT friends from the Fire
Department joined us.
The food was enjoyed and appreciated by all!!!
Emergency Communications Committee formed!
Later in the afternoon our president, Gene Schouweiler, WØKAD, hosted a meeting of people interested in developing a GVARC plan for dealing with emergencies that may arise. Most of us know that ham radio has made significant contributions during major disasters, such as hurricanes, tornados, fires, and others. The question is, how can GVARC, as a club, assist our community in a meaningful way? The subject is a complicated one. What kind of disasters are we most likely to have in the Tucson-Sahuarita-Green Valley area? Certainly flooding is one. Power outages? Maybe, but what criteria should drive the response? How about immigration-related problems? ¿Quién sabe? Or what about terrorist activity? Then there's the average age of our club members, and what equipment, capabilities, or facilities can be made available? Lots of questions.
As a result of that meeting, a new committee has been formed.
It's called the Emergency Communications Committee, with Walt Harsch, WØALT, as
chair. Look for a new Web page that will detail the committee's meetings,
activities, and decisions. If any are interested in serving on the committee,
please contact Walt.
Cleanup!
We also need to give credit to those who came back after Field Day was over on Sunday and Monday mornings to clean up the Fire Department meeting room and to take down the antennas. These folks did a super job and, because they did, hopefully the facility will be made available to us next year!
Lessons learned!
We are still compiling a list of the things we learned during Field Day. So far we have the following:
1. LESSON: Fluorescent lights can add to band noise figures. Turn the lights on and off while watching the S-meter to see if noise from that source is a factor.
2. LESSON: Let's develop a plan to get our newer licensees comfortable participating in contests. Some of the newer licensees seemed reluctant to man the operating positions, and maybe that's understandable. Certainly it can be somewhat intimidating to watch an old pro contester rack up the points. And shouldn't THEY be the ones operating, not a beginner who has rarely held a mic before? Wouldn't inexperienced people cost the club points?
If you feel that way, please realize that all of us, no matter how experienced, at one time held a mic in his or her hand and spoke into it for the first time. All of us, at one time or another, made mistakes on the air. All of us, at one time or another, "cost" a club points because we weren't aggressive enough or sure enough of ourselves. SO WHAT? IT'S NO BIG DEAL!!
The aspect of Field Day that is so seldom missed is that it's not JUST about points; IT'S ABOUT TRAINING! As a flight instructor I could take students through ground school and explain everything there is to know about an airplane, but until they take yoke or stick in hands, they will never be pilots. No one can become an effective public speaker without speaking in public. As babies we couldn't even learn to walk without walking! The same is true for radio proficiency. YOU HAVE TO TALK ON THE RADIO TO GET PROFICIENT TALKING ON THE RADIO. Do you want to learn what to do? Stand behind someone like John Mitchell, AC7JM, or Ray Soifer, W2RS, or a number of others and LISTEN to what they do. Then do the same thing. An why not check QST each month for the numerous contests that go on? Participate in some of them. You don't have to send in a log; just get comfortable talking to other stations in the contest environment.
We could all use a little radio procedure training!
Your comments about Field Day 2007!
If any of you have any comments about what went on during Field Day weekend, or would like to share some lessons learned, please address them to our Webmaster, Jon Otto, AD7GS, at Webmaster@gvarc.us at the GVARC Web site.
See you all next year at Field Day 2008!
Ron Gross AD7FV