[BARC-List] FD 2002 post mortem

[Michael Ardai]

Field Day 2002 post mortem
Mike Ardai, N1IST

As usual, here's my FD 2002 blather - just random thoughts in
no specific order.  Please feel free to add anything (or to
challenge my views :-)

- FD was a success - BARC's goal is not to rack up points but 
  to give people the opportunity to get on the air, experience
  different modes, and test our skills.  And to rack up points
  if that's what you want to do.

- I won't thank everyone personnally since I'd forget someone.
  Thanks to EVERYONE who helped set up, operate, and tear down.

- Great steak tips!  And I finally managed to get some of the
  strawberry shortcake!

- The actual numbers will be available shortly (when I get the
  email logs and type in all the paper ones :-)  Looks like 
  about 500 Q's on CW (thanks Dave and Mark!!), 250 or 300 on
  phone, and 70 or so on PSK31/RTTY!

- PSK/RTTY were a great surprise!  Thanks to whoever brought
  that station (sorry, can't remember :-) and to Tom for his 
  persistance!

- Once again, Dave was amazing on CW.  Did you take any breaks?

- Packet got us the FD message - that's 100 points!

- 2M did very poorly.  6M wasn't much better.  220, 440, and 1.2
  got us nothing.  What's wrong here?  Just because nobody was
  manning those stations?  Because CEMARC never announced a common
  2M freq replace 146.52 so we never got all of the usual mobiles?
  All the mobiles now have HF in the car and were on 40M? 
  Propagation?  Next year, I'd drop everything above 6M except for
  2M talkin unless there is a concerted effort to get contacts on
  2 from 1C/1D non-active participants out there.  It's just not
  worth hauling all that stuff for that miniscule return.

- Anything cup-shaped will collect rain.  That includes dipole 
  feedpoints.  Make sure they are sealed internally with RTV or
  the antenna will act very wierd in the rain.  Drain holes may
  also help.

- Tighten all antenna parts securely.  The R7 didn't work because
  two sections telescoped due to a loose hoseclamp.

- All antennas need to be checked out with an analyzer when they
  are installed and at a convenient point later in the evening
  (during genny refueling is a great time - no interference from
  other TXs).  Maybe we would have caught the botched R7 
  installation then and would have had better luck with it.  Also
  could catch any issues caused by dogs or kids stepping on or 
  pulling coax.

- Coax (both on the ground and as it drops from the wire antennas)
  needs to be marked with flag tapes.  Otherwise people won't see
  it and will walk into it.

- The 40/80 dipole worked OK (except the feedpoint problem) but 
  resonated a bit low.  It needs to be trimmed.

- The new generator location worked very well.  We could barely 
  hear it.  Paul's power distribution systems did a great job.

- GFIs will trip when receptacles get wet.  I'd rather have them
  trip and shut down a station than have someone get zapped due
  to a ground fault.  Too many wires and too much water to do 
  things safely without them.  To avoid problems, connections 
  between cords should be taped and elevated above the ground.
  No active cords should have their ends just placed on the
  ground.  

- If someone asks you not to help with something, please respect
  their wishes.  Both I and Paul will have a lot of extra work 
  to uncoil, clean, and test cables that were not properly 
  cleaned and coiled.

- DO NOT put cables on the ground where they are likely to be 
  stepped on or have tables or chairs placed on them.  At best,
  the cables will just have to be thrown out and replaced.  At
  worst, it could be FATAL.

- Setting up in the pergola and new shelter worked out very well.
  Not too cramped, easy to see what was going on.  Even if we
  have the whole area next year, we may want to stay there.  The 
  tents get cramped and hot, and are not too inviting for the 
  public.

- We need to do a better job with rainproofing.  If we had real
  rain, it would have been a disaster.  Maybe turn the big tarp
  90 degrees and have it hang 10 feet down from each side?  We'd
  need another big tarp to give full coverage of the pergola.
  That piecework mess of little tarps looked ugly and didn't give
  too much protection.

- After setup, we need to clean up all of the unused crates and
  equipment and stash them in a tent.  Just because it is a field
  operation doesn't mean it has to look like a disaster scene...

- OK, I guess it is time to give up trying to network computers.
  It just doesn't work and isn't worth the effort.

- We need computerized logging at all stations.  I'm looking at
  about a day's work typing in all of the paper logs.

- The paper log forms were OK.  At least this time I don't
  have to throw out too many contacts due to missed info.  On the
  other hand, some people still don't understand UTC.  Please,
  either log in UTC (preferred) or label your logs as EDT.  Don't
  leave it up to whoever is typing them in to guess.  Also, use
  a 24-hour clock.  I really hate having to figure out this mess.

- Sharpies are NOT to be used for logging.  Make sure any paper
  logs are legible!

- We had a lot of people who didn't operate.  I hope that was what
  they wanted and not because they did not get a chance.

- What idiot decided that there are so many different sizes of 
  those little coaxial DC power connectors?  I need to change all
  of the ones on my gear to be the same size, and make sure I have
  proper power cords.

- A tube-based Heathkit making a 10 GHz contact - what more can
  I say :-)

- What happened with the satellites?  KA1MOM had the antennas but
  nobody did anything with them...

- We made the Brookline TAB.  Too bad the reporter showed up at
  2PM Sunday instead of Saturday.  Also too bad the channel 5
  crew couldn't find us.  Anyone have a recording of the WBZ radio
  spot Saturday morning?

- We were able to keep 4 HF stations running most of the time -
  2 phone, 1 CW, and one digital.  Now all we need are better
  antennas.  Any ideas for next year?

- Next year I will work 1E from my home QTH.  FD in the field is
  way too much work...