[MRCA] Delaware Goes to War and Southern Fried Moose AAR

[Ray Fantini]

AAR Delaware Goes to War, April 26 Fort Miles, Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware Southern Fried Moose & Squirrel Net.

What was supposed to be achieved by this project?

Delaware Goes to War is an annual event in April at the Fort Miles, Cape Henlopen State Park Delaware. The Fort Miles Historical Association wants to keep this a WW2 only thing, but the Delaware State Parks people allow me to set up in a parking lot next to the Historical Association.
I planned to have the M151 mutt set up with all its radio equipment along with on air operations that included participating in the 7087 RTTY and MMRCG Nets along with a Special Southern version of the regular Moose & Squirrel Net.

What was actually achieved?

Arrived early Saturday morning and set the mutt up. Used an inverted V antenna cut for forty meters along with a second antenna cut for sixty. The AN/GRC-106A was powered by running the engine onboard the mutt. Used a Panasonic Toughbook laptop for teletype. Had available but did not use the VRC-12 Low Band VHF set or the URC-110 VHF set.

What aspects of the project work?

I worked the RTTY Net on 7087 including copying the K4NYW special event NAVRADSTA Lewes bulletin. Lot of turn out for this net, more stations checking in than usual. The 7296 MMRCG Net had minor issues (Troll) and some stations were weekly copied. Did not work the 5357 M&S Net at noon but saved my resources for doing the Southern Fried Moose at one that afternoon. Talked to N2IA before net time and called the net at thirteen Hundert hours local. In addition to N2IA K3CBJ, K3TZJ and N2MS all checked in.
People always enjoy seeing the mutt and all the radio along with the PRC-77 display that I put out, everyone loves the PRC-25/77

What didn't work and why?

The batteries in the mutt were bad last year, and they did not get any better over the winter. Just have to go ahead and buy two new batteries and swap them out. Looked at them and they were one year warrantee and I bought them back in 2018
Thought it was going to rain all day so I installed the rain curtains all around and it never did rain. But was in the eighties and humid so that makes a hot environment in the back of the mutt. Could have removed all that but then it would have rained for Shure.

What would you change if given a second chance?

Have a full tank of gas along with new batteries for the mutt. Last year I had to jump the mutt to get it going again. Need to find a more period correct chair then what I have been using looks out of place but it's comfortable.

Although there have been issues with the event in the past I did have the opportunity to drag everything out in the field and operate, As Joe WA4VAG use to say "Field radios are only happy in the field" the Delaware Goes to War event is an event where you can operate from the field, maybe one day I can inspire others to do the same?
Did shoot some video of the nets and its up at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTp8KejqMDQ

Ray F/KA3EKH
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