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.
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