[HCARC] Field Day Advertisements

[Gary and Arlene Johnson]

I would like to see lines waiting for a chance to talk on the radio and to learn about Ham Radio on Field Day.  I am very much into Preparedness (yeah - Y2K kind of stuff) and I have several books that say without mincing words that getting your Ham License is one of the smartest things you will ever do to stay / get prepared.  One of these books is the LDS Preparedness manual, and I am the Ward Food Storage Coordinator and I am at fault as to why the entire Kerrville Ward did not come to last years Field Day.  They will know about it next year!!!    With no code requirements for a license and with Dale's classes, there just isn't much excuse that one can come up with that holds water as to why they haven't gotten their license.  Accordingly, the only reason I can think of that more people aren't getting licensed is "Lack of Visibility and Lack of Knowledge"as to what it takes to get licensed.  My bet is you can go down to HEB and ask any 100 people if Code is required for a license and they won't know the answer.  Field Day should be the response to that question.  Let's shoot for hundreds of visitors next year.

Gary J
N5"BAA"
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jeff Lavender 
  To: Gary and Arlene Johnson 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 7:38 PM
  Subject: Re: Field Day Advertisements


  We did a media blast last year and I may have put it out a little early.   I will do the same thing again this coming year.   I like the idea of a radio out of a big box.   We could put some one in it to talk to the folks when they stop by.   

  Jeff

  Ps I do like the Burma shave signs 

  From: Gary and Arlene Johnson 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 12:41 PM
  To: Jeff & Beverly Lavender 
  Cc: hcarc at mailman.qth.net 
  Subject: Field Day Advertisments

  Next year we need to get the Cailloux Center, the bank down by Walmart, and the Car dealership on the corner of Sidney Baker and 27 to run ads on their moving message boards the week before Field Day.  We should look for the same thing in Fredericksburg.  As I have emailed you (Jeff) before, we need to get places like the Museum of Pacific War and the Pioneer Museum to hand out flyers on the weekend of Field Day and maybe the weekend before.  I wonder how to make a BIG RADIO Model out of a Refrigerator box that could be put at the entrance to the Fairgrounds to attract attention.  Paint the box black and use pie pans or cake pans for knobs.  It might attract attention and cause people to check us out.  

  Do we do anything to advertise Radio at either the county fairs, the monthly craft sales at the courthouse, at flea markets, ??  It shouldn't be hard to set up a 2 meter rig and associated antenna and get on the air to lean about Ham Radio.  My bet is that MOST people shy away from Ham Radio because of Morse Code and don't know that it isn't mandatory any more.  I am learning code, a little at a time and some day I will have it.  I started by learning the code for my call sign(s) and my name.  Most everyone already knows S, O and E.  I am almost as intimidated by all of the Buzz Words used in code as I am the letters themselves. 

  Gary J