2007  Field Day: June 23-24: 

N4Q Expanded Soapbox

This year the NR3X contest group operated Field Day using the special event call sign "N4Q" from a North Carolina forestry service location. This site is home to a forestry service field office, and has a large fire observation tower on the site.

The gang started out short one good operator, as KO4PY had too many obligations to participate this year. The loss of Brent was offset by the addition of Kent, K9EZ, and Barry, K4CZ. Kent is an experienced contest and FD operator, and Barry is a relatively newly licensed ham with a love of CW who was out for his first full-out Field Day. Both are great additions to the group.

The basic game plan was to use the fire tower as the support for the 80 meter dipole, and work everything else around that. With that thought in mind, some of the tall and evenly spaced pines on the site were used in addition to the tower. The original plan to attach 20 meter dipoles of aluminum tube to the fire tower were scrapped once it became clear the installation would be too time consuming. Time was growing short and we were still lacking the 80 meter antenna. So a wire dipole for 20 meters was hastily constructed and trimmed and the 80 dipole was completed. (Hey--what about the stations?!?)

With everyone back on the ground and Kent arriving with his pop-up, we began setting up stations. "Hey! Its almost 2:00!" Stations were hastily assembled, and the 40 meter station was complete, but we were short an adapter for connecting the keyer to the 20 meter station. An adapter was hastily cobbled together and both stations were ready--only 15 minutes past 2:00. "Ack--we lost 15 minutes!"

Unfortunately, one of our 'Qso Machines', N4YDU, had to bolt for another afternoon commitment. So we started with K9EZ/N4PY on 20, and W4KAZ/K4CZ on 40. Off to the races!

( "Lunch? Did anybody have lunch?"
" Well, er, um.....No!"
" Hey, I'm hungry!")

The weather held up, it was hot but there were no storms, and the antennas played well. Run frequencies were held easily, and the QSO's came rolling in. Rate was usually sufficient. We were able to have the best ops on the radios at the right times for the best rates, but even W4KAZ was able to run on CW. After 24 bleary eyed, hot and sweaty hours, Murphy struck, taking out his ire on K9EZ's car battery. Luckily, the jumper cables were still accessible in W4KAZ's overflowing truck.

...and another one bites the dust.

N4Q site photos

N4Q  -  2007 Krewe of Operators:

•   N4YDU, Nate
•   N4PY, Carl
•   KO4PY, Brent
•   W4KAZ, Keith
•   W4MY, Marty  2008?
•   K4CZ, Barry
•   K9EZ, Kent
•   KA1ARB, Rob

Recent NC Contesters Score History
  2007 as   N4Q  class 2A  NC   ?2096? Q's   ??8000+?? pts.
  2006 as N4PY  class 2A  NC   1,506 Q's   6,486 pts.
  2005 as N4PY  class 2A  NC   2,380 Q's   8,364 pts.