[CTSARA] Some Field Day Reminders

[Jon Perelstein]

Time for me to play **MOM** and nag you all about a couple of things for
Field Day

1.  We're up at the Observatory, which is basically parkland.  Some of the
operating sites are on grass.  That means bugs.  Wear long pants, especially
if you're going to be sitting in the picnic area in front of the Observatory
or operating from one of those sites located on grass.  Even if you expect
to be operating from a site on asphalt parking areas, long pants are a good
idea.  It's also a good idea to wear over the ankle socks so that you can
tuck your LONG pants into your socks to prevent bugs when you're in grassy
areas.

2.  Wear clean ...    Ooops, sorry, channeling Mom a little too much.

3.  Think shoes, not sandals.  And certainly NOT bare feet.

4.  We expect to have a supply of bug repellent, but bring your own,
especially if you're going to be at one of the remote operating locations
where it's a long schlepp back to the Observatory to get more bug spray.

5.  Bring some bug bite stuff since at least one mosquito will get through
despite whatever anti-aircraft defenses you put up.  Again, we'll bring some
of our own, but it helps to have some of your own.

6.  Sunscreen.  It's a good idea.

7.  It gets dark up there, so bring a fully charged flashlight and spare
batteries.  There's nothing like operating in that remote tent way back in
the parking lot at midnight when the generator runs out of gas and you lose
all the lights, only to discover that you don't have a flashlight.  Aside
from the fact that the mountain lions and tigers and bears and wolves and
Kraken and Cthulhu come out at night when the generator runs out of gas,
we'd rather not have you injure yourself trying to get back to the
Observatory in the dark (assuming you make it through the mountain lions and
tigers and bears and wolves and Kraken and Cthulhu).

8.  Bring your HT and spare batteries.  We're a radio club.  Use radio to
communicate from the Observatory/picnic area to the remote operating sites.
 We'll pick a simplex frequency for operation within the site, and we'll
probably have at least one radio tuned to the repeater for talk-in.

9.  There is poison ivy in some of the brush.  We normally don't head into
the brush, but sometimes we wind up pulling cables through the brush and
once in a while we might even have to venture in to untangle a stuck cable.
 Bring gloves.  Best is disposable surgical kind of gloves (latex or
non-latex, your choice).  We'll have some but it's best if you bring your
own.

10.  Ernest, Terry and a couple of other people have taken steps to kick up
the food a notch this year.  Among other things, there will be decent food
(we think) and a microwave for the night crew, Subway sandwiches for
Saturday lunch, some nice entrees for Saturday dinner, and some good stuff
for Sunday breakfast.  We have not factored any special dietary needs into
the menus.  If you're allergic to something or need a special diet or don't
eat certain types of food, please make sure that you bring supplies of
things that you can eat.

11.  There is no parking in the grassy/dirt areas around the Observatory.
 Please park in the parking lot.  You can drive in on the dirt road (it's
pretty clearly identifiable) to drop things off but please do not park on
the side of the road or off the road or next to the trees or whatever.  Even
for a few minutes.

You the person who lives in Norwalk but comes by our site every year and
gets into a fight with Terry about this issue (you know who you are) -- THIS
MEANS YOU.  If we have to call a towing service, we will (or better yet,
we'll just key your car).  This is a matter of some unhappiness on the part
of the Observatory and we're not going to lose our Field Day site because
you think you're someone special.

12.  There is a certain club member who shall remain nameless (let's call
him 'Phred') who is getting on in years a bit (although he is still spry and
certainly NOT overweight).  Phred really truly does not believe in wireless,
and in the heat and humidity and sun of Saturday midday can be seen rushing
back and forth from the Observatory to the far operating locations
delivering messages that could easily be delivered by wireless or making
adjustments to equipment that could be done by the people at those locations
if only Phred believed in wireless.  When he rushes back-and-forth in the
midday sun, Phred winds up looking a lot worse for wear and tear and we've
grown kinda fond of him.  Should you see Phred doing this, you are all
hereby authorized to perform a citizen's arrest on him and hold him until
(a) he starts using wireless or (b) he deputizes a younger person to run
back-and-forth in the midday sun ("... only mad dogs and Englishmen go out
in the midday sun ...").

*****

WE NEED HELP PUTTING UP THE ANTENNAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING.  WE'LL BE
STARTING AT ABOUT 2:30 AND WILL HAVE PIZZA FOR DINNER.

73s
Jon