W4KAZ

Several members of the NC/East chapter of PVRC put together another small scale field day operation for 2008. Operating as N4PY, we built stations on the campus of Royal Elementary just south of Louisburg, NC. Our operations in the 3A class netted 1808 CW Q’s, 511 SSB Q’s, for a total of 2319 QSO’s and an expected score of just above 8800 points.  (Note:  Link to Carl, N4PY’s software site, the N4PY discussion group, and the eham review of the N4PY rig control software.)

The set up was moderately simple. All antennas were simple wires of one sort or another. For 2008 we choose to operate as 3A, with a full time 40m station, an 80m/20m station, and a 15m/10m/vhf station. The 15m/10m station turned out to be far more productive than we had any real reason to expect given the current sorry state of the sunspot cycle.

Left: 40m foreground, 80m/20m background       Right:  W4KAZ removing shade screen as W4MY works 15m

For antennas, we used a Vee beam(east/west) with 266 foot legs on 80m/20m. The 40m station relied on another east/west Vee beam with 200 foot legs, supplemented with a hastily constructed but poorly tuned 40m dipole aligned at 90 degrees to the favored direction of the Vee beam. The 15m and 10m antennas were simple dipoles. All antennas were constructed on site - a cause for concern as 1800z approached….!

We had the core group of operators, N4PY, N4YDU, W4KAZ and K4CZ, all returning from 2007’s operation at the fire observation tower. We were joined this year by N4GU and W4MY. KB4DNX was the the only participant who is not a PVRC member, and although Dale’s time was very limited, he contributed to the effort.

The site chosen was very close to ideal for field operations. As you might imagine from our choice of Vee beams for antennas, the Royal elementary campus has a very large unused field to its rear. The divider between the school playground and the adjoining fallow field is a gentle hill with a small group of shady oak trees at its center. The field and playground are lined on one side by a long line of tall trees. The properties to either side of the school campus are either farmland or wooded, so there were no nearby neighbors to annoy(or generate RF noise!). There was even a small space formed by a pair of boulders, well suited for placing the generator and attenuating the generator noise. It was very close to ideal for a field operations site. The high temperatures were somewhat offset by moderate humidity levels and a constant strong “breeze” that at times gusted and ruffed up the stations.

Despite some fairly routine “technical difficulties”(i.e., Murphy), we were on the air very close to the 1800z start time. Everyone pitched in to keep progress going, despite the uncomfortable WX. Thanks to N4PY, we were even able to have a bit of lunch before operations commenced. Our 15m station earned its keep right out of the gate, although it tapered off as evening approached. We didn’t have blistering rates on any station, but all had a steady stream of QSO’s trickling in when they were manned.

W4MY arrived straight from work in the early evening Saturday, bearing a much appreciated box of sandwiches and, more importantly, an infusion of enthusiasm needed for the second half of operations. N4GU returned the favor Sunday morning, returning to the site bearing edible gifts.

Our best single station hour was actually on the 10m station, when N4YDU caught the opening there Sunday morning. In the other station area, two sets of Dunestar filters belonging to N4GU were 100 percent successful at keeping the neighboring 40m and 80m/20m stations out of one another’s way. Despite the close proximity of the two Vee beams, we never heard a peep of interference.

One of the weekend’s highlights was working CT1HZE on 6 meters, and the poor guy had to work a pile-up of N4PY FD operators as everyone in the 6M shack quickly passed the mike around to snag the DX QSO on 6m.

Everyone pitched in and the group worked well as a team. It was a great weekend, even with the high heat, high weeds, high poison ivy, and high tick count. All of those things were far outstripped by high spirits, comradery, good humor, and not a drop of rain to dampen spirits. A bunch of QSO’s was icing on the cake.

Next up for some of our group is another run at the IOTA NA low power expedition plaque by N4YDU and W4KAZ, who are being joined this year by K4CZ. Look for “N4A” from NA-067.

edited 7/6/2008, 1710z, kaz

NOAA added a comment to the “Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Issued April 2007″.  The comment basically says “that’s our story, and we’re sticking to it”.  They may have fudged the graphs a bit to accommodate the year’s observations, but the predictions remain the same.  

Boy, I sure hope we hit that steep curve for the upper end of the “big cycle” prediction, rather than the low end of the “teeny cycle” prediction.  It was fun to hear short skip openings on 15m and 10m over FD weekend.  I was born decades too late to catch the “hard sky” of 1958.

THAT would be FUN.

Picked this up off the Tower Talk reflector.  Rohn Tower has been sold by Radian to a company in Peoria called O’Brien Steel.  Radian has themselves been recently acquired by Montreal based Prestige Telecom.

So ownership of Rohn returns to Peoria.  I hope that is good news for the employees as well as their niche market customers - hams.  

The final tally for the 2008 class 3A operation as N4PY is together.  We had 1808 CW QSO’s and 511 QSO’s.

 (7232 CW QSO PTS + 1022 SSB QSO PTS) + 500 BONUS = 8,754

One of the highlights was probably working CT1HZE on 6 meters.  The guys in the 6m shack got a lift out of that.

I see that Ten-Tec’s Summertime Used Gear Sale is on.  They are re-selling OMNI-VI’s and Orions taken in as trade-ins.  I’ve always liked the Omni VI.  Its a solid CW rig with a great receiver.  Sweet.

I am also fresh off a weekend using an Orion on bands loaded with Field Day operators.  The Orion is also a sweet radio.  It is a great S&P contest radio.  You can set the CW bandwidth to a vary narrow setting and work stations every 250hz all the way up and down a band.  Zero detectable ringing, even with the bandwidth cranked down to about 160hz.

Too bad my shack is not bigger.  I’d sure like to have custody of an Omni VI Plus for three or four years.  

I’ve always been somewhat hesitant to buy used gear, but the beauty of this sale is that the rigs have been checked out by factory.  Plus they are tossing in a credit on an accessory item, a microphone, and picking up the shipping tab.

NO - I don’t get any kickbacks….

edit, 11:30 am 7/2/08:  I’m also fresh off using the Omni VII, another fabulous radio.  The Omni VII QSK is top notch.  I like running with the side tone set to a low level, it makes the quality of the QSK jump out.  I like the ergonomic design of both the Orion and Omni VII.  Both radios are easy on the ears.  But because of its small size and tolerance for low voltage, I’m happy with my choice of the Elecraft K2.  It too is a fine radio.

Had another great time this year. We operated as N4PY, and ran 3 stations plus a VHF rig. The daytime temps were blistering, but there was a steady hot breeze blowing and the humidity was moderate. The heavy rains waited until we were done to show up, a real stroke of good fortune.

The FD site N4YDU got us access to was outstanding. We improvised and modified plans to accommodate the realities of the site, but it has great potential.

Just like anything else - you learn by doing. The more you do something, the more you learn. So, no surprise, it is the same with Field Day. These are not really all from 2008, but they all were either discovered or re-iterated this year.

2008 FD Picayunes:

• W4MY supplied me with a real Homer Simpson “Duh-OH!” moment when he taught me how to get the insects out of the screen tent. Just take the stupid light and clamp it to something OUTSIDE the screen, shining in. Duh-OH!
• I also learned first hand that the Dunestar filters may be well worth their price. Zero interference, no noticeable impedance bump.
• Listening to 10 meters at about 0500Z(after midnight local), I was hearing ten or fifteen QRP beacons. They were not strong, but good enough for easy copy. But a ten minute interval calling CQ turned up zero Q’s. NOTE TO SELF: Even if you listen and find open paths, it is possible that no one on the other end notices.
• Wild blackberries will ripen right in front of your eyes in direct sunlight and 98 degree daytime temps. Actually, I guess they wait until you walk past, then ripen when your back is turned. Either way, they taste good if you don’t mind the seeds.
• A FD site with wild blackberries pays dividends. Not very big, but nice and sweet.
• A Vee beam with 200 ft legs is big. A Vee beam with 266 ft legs is bigger. Crossed dipoles are easier.
• It’s a challenge to get a line over an exact branch when the winds are gusting. Doing it in one shot is cause for celebration.
• Denim jeans will soon be soaked through, heavy, and clinging with perspiration in 98 degrees/60% humidity conditions. But they make negotiating fields of tall grass, wild blackberries, and poison ivy navigable. Not so much fun in shorts. Wear the jeans and drink more water - and be thankful the wind was blowing and the humidity wasn’t higher.
• A slight rise in the terrain topped with a loose cluster of shady trees makes an outstanding FD station site.
• Three hours of sleep is better than zero hours of sleep.
• Drink more water.
• Moving up to 3A from 2A added a lot to the set up work load, but not a lot to the score.

Yeah!  Time to get the game on.  The NC Contesters group will be operating from just south of Louisburg, NC using N4PY’s call sign.  Y’all come.  Hopefully the WX will be better than the forecast.  Wet FD sites are less than ideal, and lightning can ruin everyone’s day PDQ.

We’ll be either 3A or 2A, operating with 100w.  The rigs will be an Omni VII,  an Orion, and a K2, with a Kenwood TS-930 as backup.  We’ll be mixed mode, but probably mostly CW.  The plans are to have two Vee beams, plus an assortment of alternate antennas.  Our stations will be organized by band, with an 80m/20m station on the long Vee(266′ legs), an 40m station on the smaller Vee beam(200′legs), and a 160m/15m/10m station that will probably have a long wire as the main antenna.  Look for us on 160m!

If you are not in the field, you can always operate as a “1D” class station from home, and still have fun. Even if you have only a few hours available, you can help fill the logs.  The fun is NOT limited to North America -  DX stations can operate S&P and make FD QSO’s too.  A DX station’s exchange is “1D DX”, if you are operating from home.   We’ll be glad to hear you. 

Round em up.  On air operations begin at 1800z Saturday.

Just do it…

Scads of documents exist on the web discussing ARRL Field Day. But I found very few really comprehensive summaries of some of the “must haves” for ARRL Field Day. The actual nuts-n-bolts of setting up a functional station and not croaking ones-self over the course of the event.

Everybody sees it through their own frames of reference, but some things are fundamental. It all boils down to “Who brought the XYZ-thingy?”. (Often nobody….!)

So with just a few days to go, here’s a timely roundup - just so I can find them all again next time I want to pass the info on to “new blood”. A selection of readings on ‘all things field day’.

West Valley Amateur Radio Club FD summary. Their summary is specific to their club, but a good basic synopsis nonetheless.

Another good club primer is by N1FD. It also includes a list of section abbreviations and a cheat sheet for CT commands. CT is STILL the least common denominator, because folks don’t normally haul the BEST PC’s out to log in the field, CT is still free, and it works well enough. Moan all you want - there’s no really good reason to change.

One of the local clubs, The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, has a guide for their band captains. This is pretty much an all inclusive document speaking to the needs of a single station.

How about the actual ARRL FD rules?

Just in case you are “fuzzy” or maybe caught in a gray area/twilight zone, some compliance advice - Field Day Urban Legends, Myths and FAQs

How about some Field Day Antennas? Trust the US Marines Corps? –> USMC Field Antenna Manual.

Looking for a site you can barge in on uninvited? Try the ARRL’s FD Locator.

Don’t forget to check the weather.

I was browsing through some of the back issues of club newsletters, and ran across the YCCC tribute to W1PL, SK in the February issue of the Scuttlebutt. Despite an early life filled with adversity, W1PL must have found happiness in the latter part of his life. He sure seems to have earned a good life.  He sounds like a man whom I would have enjoyed knowing.

Appreciate what you have.

NS3T reports that there has been at least one group(WRTC 2010) who have taken the position that using a spotting robot is getting assistance.  What amazes me  so far is that the opinion is not more widespread.  I guess the “anything goes” interpretation is just something I’ve not been able to digest.

In the sidebar on the same page Jamie also reports that the California Qso Party has actually made rules changes to restrict the use of internet chat rooms, etc. to the multi-single class. CAQP does not have an SOA class.  Bravo.  But no decision yet on Skimmer.

I suppose it is all moot anyway, because the folks who advocate “no rules” may well be the group most likely to disregard the rules anyway.  It is certainly all moot to me, as I expect to operate at home as always - no spots, no skimmer.  Just a kid with a radio having fun.  If I were to ever even get close to a decent score, it will just mean more to me then.  But given my station and skills limitations, a competitive score is still just a goal for the future.  Let the Big Dawgs chew each others tails off.  My input is irrelevant to them, and their windmill tilting is irrelevant to me.

I guess what really bugs me is the parsing of the meaning of the word “is”. I’ve never bought into the ‘roadblock to progress’ bull crap.  Anybody that wants to experiment can do so at their leisure.  There is no real impediment to experimentation with any new technology or method.  Certainly nothing so esoteric as the classification of a contest entry.  It undermines their argument completely.  Just don’t claim you have “won” if you are using a technique no one else is using.  If I bring a motorcycle to a horse race, I’ll improve my odds of getting to the finish line first.  But did I “win”?

Actually, the very fact that there is an argument sort of takes the sheen off the idea of contest operating.  If it weren’t so damn much fun I would be having doubts.  The truth is, a couple thousand more robots on the air might help give me a lot more practice.  I’m certainly not doing it for the plaques I’m not even close to winning.

It seems to me the contest sponsors have both dropped the ball and set a bad precedent by failing to act.  Does it really take six months to parse the meaning of “is”?  The long period of hesitation only serves to give tacit approval.  By avoiding action that will piss early adopters off now, they will only piss off those with the opposite view more if they reverse course later.

The genie is out of the bottle - but neither CW Skimmer nor any other technology is the genie.  It’s the precedent set by contest sponsors refusing to “man up” and make a decision, whatever that decision might be.  A ruling won’t stop those who would cheat - but the cheaters need to “man up” too, aina?

So a big thumbs up to RA3AUU and the WRTC for having enough testicles to decide.