[SMCARA] 4 days to Field Day

[Tom Shelton]

Where is the time going? It seems like only a few days ago that we started talking about Field Day and now it is right around the corner.

Saturday’s weather forecast is getting a lot better. We’re down to a 10% chance of rain with a 40% chance of T-Storms on Sunday. 

Yesterday’s meeting was all about the social side of our FD effort. Today I’d like to talk about the educational and community service side.

Each club member is an ambassador to the community. If, while you’re at the FD site, you see someone you don’t know just hanging around and generally looking like a lost puppy, go over and introduce them – give them a tour of the site and show them some of the on-going operations. If they’d like to try it out for themselves, get them over to the GOTA station and help them with a couple of contacts. If they have questions that you can’t answer, there are plenty of experienced Hams you can introduce them to who may have the answers – With such a large group, someone is bound to know.

I’m going to start tearing down my station tomorrow night and will test it all out before packing it all away for transport to the FD site. I plan on bringing my ICOM IC-7200, with CAT controls via my older laptop for use at the GOTA station. This station also includes a LDG tuner, power supply, and 40/15 meter dipole. I’ll also be bringing my Kenwood TS-2000 with a VHF/UHF antenna for any aficionados to use there. I’ll also show off Ham Radio Deluxe and its capability with Satellite communications (though I doubt a contact will be made), Slow-Scan TV, and if I really get motivated – Sky Command II (where I remotely control the HF side of the radio from my TH-7D hand-held).

I saw what Boz is bringing for his rig – for those of you bringing radios, what are you bringing? We can’t have too many radios. And its really good to have an impressive display for our visitors.

Tom Shelton, AB3IC

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein