[ICOM] Field Day 2012 - final result.

Tue Jun 26 23:59:34 EDT 2012

May be - we will see.....

Mike.

-----Original Message-----
From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Terry Richards
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2012 07:36
To: ICOM Reflector
Subject: Re: [ICOM] Field Day 2012 - final result.

Way to go Mike,

You just might have ARRL make up a new class.  ;-)

Thanks
Terry Richards/KF5KHG

>________________________________
> From: Mike Olbrisch <mike-2007 at elp.rr.com>
>To: IC703 at yahoogroups.com; 'ICOM Reflector' <icom at mailman.qth.net> 
>Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2012 9:22 PM
>Subject: [ICOM] Field Day 2012 - final result.
>  
>
>In 2009 and 2010 I worked Field Day as a 1B 1-operator solar powered QRP
>station using my FT-817 and some kind of portable antenna.  In 2011 I was
in
>Germany, I didn't play Field Day at all.  This year I wanted to do
something
>different.  With the completion of my Pedestrian Mobile radio earlier this
>year, I thought I would try my hand at Pedestrian Mobile.  Yes - I knew it
>would be most difficult, but it would also be FUN!  If it isn't FUN - then
>why do it?
>
>Right from the start there was a question.  What class was I going to be
in?
>Some thought that 1B was correct.  But another pointed out that part of the
>1B rules say 1 or 2 person, but "other provisions same for class-A".
>Class-A states:  All equipment (including antennas) must lie within a
circle
>whose diameter does not exceed 300 meters (1000 feet).  
>
>Nowhere did it state that the circle can move.  Since I intended to walk
>much farther than 1000 feet, I didn't think Class-B would apply.  Since I
>was walking, and no two QSOs were made in the same place, it looked like 1C
>was it, even if I did not use a "vehicle".  Isn't that what "Mobile" means?
>In motion?  So with 1C-WTX decided, I got started.  I don't think I am in
>any danger of winning anything, so having FUN was what it was all about.
>
>
>Call sign:  KD9KC
>Class:  1C
>Section:  WTX
>Time on air:  10.5 hrs
>Distance walked:  19.92 miles
>Average speed:  1.9 MPH
>QSOs made:  104
>Sections worked:  49
>QSOs per mile:  5.23 
>
>FUN:  Can't be measured!
>
>PHOTOS can be seen at:  http://www.qrz.com/db/KD9KC/ 
>
>I have a 4.98 mile loop I often walk along in the Upper Valley Region of El
>Paso for the 10 Bar-X 10m net on Tuesday evenings.  This loop is located on
>the west side of town, west of I-10 but east of the Rio Grande.  The area
>has many canals for irrigation, and water was flowing for Field Day.  This
>loop allowed me to pass home and refill my water before starting another
>loop.  I walked 2 loops on Saturday, and 2 loops on Sunday.  Saturday's
>first loop was done on 15m.  One of the first QSOs I made was with Germany.
>Not bad for a backpack mobile.  The 5 miles just flew by, and I had 23
>stations in the log.  I refilled the water again, and stepped out for loop
2
>now on 20m.  20m was in good shape, and I had about 15 stations in the log.
>But at about the half-way point I had run out of stations to work, and 20m
>was too crowded to hear the weaker ones.  So with the sun setting, I
stopped
>and switched to 40m.  This was a mistake!  After 30 minutes I didn't have a
>single 40m contact.  So I decided to try 15m again.  It was a struggle, but
>I found 19 more stations for a total of 54 on the first day.  I arrived
home
>tired and sore.
>
>Sunday morning I got up and started the first loop around 1300 UTC.  This
>loop was on 20m because there wasn't a single station on 15m at that hour.
>The first 5-mile loop found me with 27 contacts in the log.  Sometimes a
>weak one was having trouble hearing me, so I would toss my drag-wire in the
>canal with the hope that the water might help.  I had invited a "community
>Service" police officer to observe my operation, and he actually did catch
>me as the canal crossed the street where he was patrolling.  He was
>interested in just how far I talked.  I told him so far Sunday was not as
>good as Saturday when I worked HI, AK, and DL.  As I finished that loop I
>just stopped for a refill of ice water, and went right back out on 15m. 
The
>band wasn't great, but it was building.  Since I had about worked out 20m,
>it was 15m or nothing for the final loop.  I was tired enough that almost
>any excuse at all would have kept me home.  But I couldn't find an excuse.
>15m really started building and I was finding more stations I hadn't worked
>yet.  With about 10 minutes to go I knew I had reached my goal of 100
>contacts.  And I was able to work 4 more before the end.  I was slowing
down
>I guess, because when 1800 UTC ticked over, I was still several hundred
>yards from home.
>
>Toward the end, I called a few stations that I had worked previously.  They
>promptly informed me I was a "DUPE".  Very sorry guys.  It was getting hard
>to maintain a dupe list while walking.  I kind of lost track toward the
end.
>
>It was fun.  Really.  Next year I should have the Bicycle Mobile done.  A
>bicycle is a "vehicle", right?
>
>
>Vy73 - Mike - KD9KC.
>El Paso, Texas - DM61rt.
>W5-SOTA Association Manager.
>NA-SOTA info: http://na-sota.org/
>
>
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>   
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