[Milsurplus] MRCA Gilbert Event

[Ray Fantini]

Though it was another excellent event this year at Gilbert.  Displays in the event hall were down in size from previous years with maybe seven or eight tables but the quality of the displays was impressive. This is and continues to be one of the few events where you can bring out projects and show it off in front of an understanding audience, a community that has a technical understanding and appreciation far in advance of what's at your typical air show or ham fest. Friday's field exercise went well with net control being just across the water from me at Beltsville State park and well over a dozen stations on sixty meters. Although I tried  I was not able to work back to MRCA base on two meter AM. I did do a couple contacts to an URC-4 across the lake at net control and the group up at Pens Peak and am told that the Pens Peak crew did a contact back to MRCA base in Gilbert on 220 so that probably a new record for the event.
So thanks again for everyone involved and am already looking forward to next year and working on plans for operating on more bands for next year's event with something like a larger antenna for 51.0

Ray F