[Milsurplus] Able Archer 83 AAR

[Ray Fantini]

Walt, KB3SBC is not currently a member of these list so I am taking his AAR of this last weekend's Able Archer 83 event and sending it out in his name.  As always, field radios work best in the field. And anytime you can activate an old military site that's just a bonus.

Ray F/KA3EKH


Hello all,
Well here is the operation Able Archer 83 after Action Report in case anyone is interested. This year we tried out a new location. It was W-25 a retired Nike missile site located in Davidsonville Maryland. The site is currently the home of the Anne Arundel Amateur Radio club (AARC). The club was kind enough to allow us to use their facilities to host Able Archer 83. This was a very unique event because of the site. Number one it's the first time we operated from a real cold war location. Although W-25 was not operational as a Nike Site during 1983. It still was government property and housing for the Army. We operated out of the radar Control building next to it was the generator building and behind it was the mechanics building.  This entire complex was converted by the county and is now home to many different County activities. The Anne Arundel Amateur radio club has about 150 members and a very nice Tower array. Behind the building or two large Open Fields and that is where we set up antennas.
Ray Fantini was the one who approached the Anne Arundel Amateur Radio club and was able to get the permission needed.  Ray's contact at AARC was Richard Grace KB3ZYO is the president currently. Richard joined us along with St John Thomas Browning, it's a big name for a big dog.  Browning is a very nice Saint Bernard.  He kept an eye on us while we made our contacts.
We set up operations inside after a VEC session was completed and in the early afternoon I had a run of contacts on 40 meters using an RF-350K supplied by Ray. The RF-350 went into a clansman dipole Junction on an antenna built by Don. The antenna radio combination work quite well until late evening when propagation was completely gone on 40. Rich enlisted the help of additional Club member who was able to locate some more antenna options one was an 80 meter wire antenna which proved to be quite the performer.

During the early evening hours we ordered some takeout from a local restaurant and switched to CW two great success. We worked numerous contacts of the Baltic region hungry, Romania, and Bulgaria.  The farthest contact on voice we made was Sweden and that was on 80 meters as well.
Early Sunday morning and ran out grab some breakfast and I tried my luck on 40 and ATM made some additional contacts and Ed switch 20 meters at around noon and made some of the final contacts to the West Coast.

 Ray primarily was set up outside and operated from the mutt using a GRC 106. He was able to participate in the moose and squirrel net and met some of the guys from the net on 40m USB afterwards. He repeated this on Sunday and made an effort on 17m but propagation was not there.  I'm sure his operations were rather challenging due to the weather. It was chilly on Saturday with high winds but by the evening they died down. The winds were so bad at one point my tripod was blown over damaging my RC 292 antenna and stopping any hopes to use 6m.  Sunday was a beautiful day and quite warm.  This marks the first time that we didn't experience snow flurries during Able Archer, although my wife reported there were some at home so I'm sure if we would have been on top of Port Clinton we would have had our share.
Tear down went rather quick, we swept up and put the clubhouse back into the condition we found it. Before leaving town at and I stop by
The Killarney House and Irish Pub nearby, and enjoyed some lunch.
All in all the Able Archer 83 event this year was very pleasant and extremely comfortable the building was warm had running water even a kitchen. Rich is going to approach the board of AARC and see if we will be able to operate from their next year.
This was probably one of the most successful Abel Archer 83 events we've ever had.
Thanks to Rich and the AARC club for the use of the facilities.  Ray for locating this site and the use of the RF-350K, what a great radio.  Don for the loan of the antenna and Ed for the CW Ops which accounted for nearly half of the contacts.


73
Walt
KB3SBC
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