[GCARC] field day update, 6/16

[Jim Wright]

Hello GCARC!
there's some big news about our field day of 2016 I wanted to get out and
share with you. This one is shaping up to be a public relations bonanza,
and we could use everyone from the club's support.  Have you heard the
rumors?  Read on!
*****
You, your friends, and everyone is invited to come out to the fields in
front of our clubhouse during the afternoon and evening of Saturday June 4
to socialize and represent your club as we participate with stations all
over North America this year in Field Day 2016.  We'll send out a more
complete schedule as we get closer to the event.  For now, here's a few
tid-bits..
The Boy Scouts from Troop 9 from West Deptford are planning to camp out
with us all night and operate a Get On The Air station. What is a GOTA
station?  It is a chance for non-hams, and recently licensed hams, to learn
how to make on-air contacts and experience some of the fun of field day
under the guidance of a coach.  Everyone should sign the guest book - there
are bonus points for us for persons who are under 18 years old making at
least one contact, but persons of any age are welcome to participate!
Also visiting us around 3pm on Saturday afternoon will be scouts and their
parents from recently recolonized troop 289 from Glassboro NJ.  They are
particularly interested in learning more about emergency communications -
could they have picked any better a day that field day to see what the
possibilities are?  I'll be having a briefing with them in our clubhouse
before they get a chance to head over to the GOTA station and try some
operating too.
*****
Just a heads up to everyone who does plan to stop by, and I hope everyone
does, we are reserving parking in the back field behind our clubhouse for
your visit.  So please don't drive in the main entrance to the clubhouse,
but instead continue on to the dirt road that turns onto our property that
goes behind the clubhouse.
Why are we doing this?
One is to offer sufficient parking for all our visitors.
But two is because we are not going to be the only people at the 4H
fairgrounds during this field day weekend.  I'd like the spaces directly in
front of our clubhouse to be available to escort in our VIP visitors,
including the Harrison's mayor, rather than the general public that are
being asked to park in the football field across the street from us. What
are all these people going to be doing here?
This is a small price to pay, with real benefits.
As mentioned at the June 1 club meeting, Harrison Twp has contracted a
Carnival to set up at the fairgrounds for the same weekend. Yes, I have
been on the phone with the 4H president, and we will have complete access
to our property - they will not be setting up or parking on our property.
They will be setting up in the field between the highway (77) and our
property, with their parking in the football field across the road.
Is this great for them? no.  It just shows how they are willing to work
with us.
In the big picture, this is a great PR opportunity for GCARC, and for Ham
Radio in general.
Think about it.
Could you imagine a better public relations opportunity than field day to
show off what ham radio is all about?
There will be lots on visitors at the 4H ground, and they will be curious
about what it is we are doing.  So let me put out the request to you, our
members now - if you can offer extra help to our Bart who will be manning
our information table on Saturday and Sunday, to greet visitors and the
curious passer-bys, to help answer questions, and perhaps encourage some to
walk over and give the Scout's GOTA station a try, that would be fantastic,
and great for ham radio!
Jay 4H president called me today concerning Carnival and our field day.
At present, we look to be having at least a half dozen radios on the air at
the same time, operating on emergency power with operators in tents and
under canopies with wire antennas and other innovations of their own
construction set up in the fields around our clubhouse. The main source of
off-the-grid power we plan to use is a 'surprise' (though some of you
already know), with our main generator powered in parallel as a backup to
the backup.  We will be trying for a large group photo of everyone on site
around 5pm, as part of an article we are planning to submit to QST magazine
highlighting our field day of 2016.  We'll get the scouts to join in too.
Everyone who is on site jump on in!
If you have questions, don't bother replying to all - please email me
direct, and our field day chairman and I will work to answer whatever
questions you have. I'll send another update as we get closer to the date.
Also, look for updated postings on our web page w2mmd.org with more details
and any last minute updates as we get closer.
Field Day 2016.  Fire Up!  It's almost here!

Jim Wright, n2gxj
President, GCARC