[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] Thoughts on Field Day

[kd4fbt at cox.net]

Field Day 2010 is now history.  Now is the time to think about ways to improve our setup for next year.  I suggest a shift in how we operate.  

We need to keep safety as our number one goal.  Similarly, we need to keep having fun as our second goal.  We have always had a laid back Field Day that is not consumed by an overly aggressive quest for points.  We do not need to change this approach.  

When I started to write this email, I was reminded of a comment a woman made while I was working on her workstation.  She told me, “Go Big or Go Home.”  My suggestion is that we adopt this philosophy when we plan for Field Day next year.  No, I am not suggesting that we drop Field Day.  I am suggesting that we do what we are doing to its fullest.   The end result will be a Field Day that will be more enjoyable.

So how do we apply this idea?  First, let’s look at the coax we were using.  Why use RG-8X?  If I am climbing Old Rag, I would think about RG-8X.   If we are going to do Field Day year after year, I suggest LMR-600 (or better).  If our coax runs are 100 ft long, this relates to a 0.5 dB gain on 80 Meters up to a 1.5 dB gain on 10 Meters.  The only exception may be a wire dipole where the weight of the coax must be considered.  Larger coax will also mean that we can have a greater separation between the antennas.  A greater separation will help alleviate the problem that we experienced this year with inter-station interference.  

Antennas need to be at the right height.  In previous years, we have had dipole antennas that were too low.  A dipole up at 1/4 wavelength has a takeoff angle of 68 degrees.  This does not make a good Field Day antenna.  If we put the same antenna a height of  1/2 wavelength, the takeoff angle is now 29 degrees.  This will make a better Field Day antenna.  For 80 thru 40 Meters, it is difficult to raise the antenna to an acceptable height.  A vertical antenna may be a better choice.  

If we use a vertical antenna on a band, why stop at 3 or 4 ground radials?  Why not 16 or 32 radials?  The cost of wire is low.  There is no need to be overly frugal.  We also have almost a year to prepare the radials.

Field Day is a good opportunity to experiment with antennas.  We have experimented with a phased array and a vertical loop.  Are we using this opportunity to model the antennas to see if they will meet our needs?

Let’s continue to experiment with improving the antennas.    There are other and better solutions besides a dipole for 10/15 and 20 or a simple vertical for 80 Meters.  

In summary, we need to think about where our antennas are pointed, both vertically and horizontally.  We also need to think about how to improve the efficiency of our stations.  Next year, let’s embrace the attitude of Go Big or Go Home.   The end result will be to our benefit.  

73, 

Art Pond – KD4FBT