Be sure to check the FD Menu posting by our Commissary Guru.
Is anyone available for about an hour on Wednesday morning at 10 AM to help me with a couple of on site chores at Seagrave? I would meet you there. Please comment here or email to w1xx [AT] cox [DOT] net or call 401-783-1588. Sorry for short notice.
Good News Dept: We are expected to be joined on FD by Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, the ARRL Contest Manager.
I’m all set with help on Wednesday. James K1SD will meet me there.
Charles, K1ECU, is going to give it a go on making a satellite QSO for bonus points.
Keep your eyes open on this thread for any last minute Field Day updates.
James and I went up to the FD site yesterday (Wed) to check things out and to move the tables (with Jim Crawford) to the operating building (they are stored in the observatory). Jim clued us in to the new recorded video camera security system.
Surprised to find the row of trees between the parking and building gonesviile…used to hold up one end of the 80 meter dipole. So James and I got two new lines up (William Tell style) that will bring the dipole pretty much over the building and still up plenty high.
Lookin’ good for our Saturday start at 9 AM with all hands on deck.
It is a CTRI Field Day tradition to hold a raffle for the best guess on total number of QSOs. It will cost you $5 to enter. Winner take all.
We have not done well on 6 meter QSOs in the past few years. But that could change this year. Conditions have been excellent for the past several weeks almost every day…from EU to California and lots in between. QSO count could go way up on the 6 meter free station. Ops are scheduled hourly on the two HF stations by the FD Chairman …. but the 6 meter station is open for whomever sits down there first. Could be fun!!
…just a last last-minute update.
1. Upon arrival at 9 AM at Seagrave, a primary mission is the installation of the monster 40/20 inverted-V Yagi w/rope boom in the back-40 area. This 4-element 20 and 2-element 40 meter antenna has multiple strings coming down to the ground …so lots of hands are needed to secure the element wires as horizontal as possible. The overgrown area has nicely been cleared by NG1G and K1DM but precaution against possible little critters is advised: long pants and shirts, gloves, hat/hardhat, boots; bugs-pray with DEET will be available.
2 Since some rain is predicted , raingear is advisable as well as a change in footwear.
3. Should we have any thunder/lightning, we will shut down at the direction of the Safety Officer, NG1G.
4. Above all, have FUN.
John asked me to look into the GOTA station with the idea of making 1 satellite QSO for a 100 point bonus. The satellites in view are the LEO FM transponder types, with 70 cm uplink and 2m downlink.
I have absolutely no experience at this, but a little research and backyard experimentation showed that the key is to put enough power up on 435 MHz to capture the uplink from the many other FD competitors.
I have only a UV-5R handheld and I’ll try to concoct a gain antenna for the purpose.
A rig with actual satellite capability would be ideal of course–if anyone could volunteer one.
However if anyone has a UHF rig that can put upwards of 25 W on 70cm, that would really help.
Another helpful item would be a handheld satellite antenna, or even a fox hunting yagi, whether single or dual band.
tnx & call me at 508 277 5565 if you have any q’s or thoughts– Dave