[SMCARA] Armed Forces Day Communications Test

[Christopher Olson]

Sounds fun ! Count me in for next year ! 


Christopher M. Olson 
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
 
 
  On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 2:58 PM, Clarke, Tom AIR4.0P NATOPS<frederic.clarke at navy.mil> wrote:   The "real" AFD is next weekend, but the Cross-Band Comm Test was conducted this past weekend to avoid conflicting with the annual Dayton Hambash next weekend. 

I jumped into the fray for a bit on Saturday and it was fun.  Initially, I got on 60 meters, 5330.5KHz, and worked an Army National Guard station AAV, up in NJ.  Somehow I convinced my Hustler 4BTV vertical into working on 60 and got a contact.
Next, I moved to 40 and worked the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, NWJC in Charleston, SC. That was kind of fun, as I am a member of the Charleston club. They were listening on 7275 Upper and transmitting 7360, so the cross-band worked fine.
Another QSY to 6913 brought a QSO with USS LST-325, again they were listening on 40 M, a WW2 tank landing ship moored in Evansville IN.
Moved to 20 meters, 14441.5, with me transmitting on 14347, and I bagged the USS Midway NIIW in San Diego CA.
I heard, very weakly (we are too close) WAR at the Pentagon, AIR at Andrews, and WPAX (hmmm??) at USNA Annapolis, on 80, 60, and 40.

Since Navy MARS has gone off into the sunset, I wondered about the Navy stations.  A quick email exchange with the Chief of Army MARS, who explained that they were able to use the Navy call signs for Navy participants, which explains the use of the ship's calls.  Since he had me on the line, he invited Pax River to participate next year.

So, is there any interest in that for next year?  I offered to contact NAS for their support and be his POC/organizer here.  Not too much is required of NAS other than allowing us to use the NAS Pax call-sign of KNHK (ICAO call) or NHK-4(call for the base HF transmitter site) and the facility on base.

Ideas for setup:      Station 1 on 60 Meters= 100 Watts into one of the "Spiral Antennas at Bldg 2653 (go to http://antennaproducts.com/product/spq-330/  and drool!) on base.
            Station 2 on 40 Meters= 500 Watts into one of the "Spiral Antennas at Bldg 2653 (there are 6 of them!).  Might be fun to use one of the base's Rockwell-Collins 5000 Watt transmitters, eh?
            Station 3 on 20 Meters= 500 Watts (if we can get a linear) into the Yagi at the museum using whichever call-sign is assigned (KNHK or NHK-4, which is the call of the HF site.)

Operating from the museum would give the club and ham radio some "exposure" and stir up some usage for the facility at K3NHK.  It would be easy for those of you with base access and for those without, I would sponsor you and transport to the site.

What do you think?

Tom/W4OKW


Tom Clarke
P-3/C-130 Program Support, PEO(A)
USN/USMC National Airworthiness Office
Naval Air Systems Command, AIR-4.0P
(301) 995-3793/DSN 995-3793
Fax: (301) 342-3276
Cell (301) 904-2053
frederic.clarke at navy.mil

 "We're out of money, now we've got to think."
-- Winston Churchill 


______________________________________________________________
SMCARA mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/smcara
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:SMCARA at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to lilsmokeeater5 at yahoo.com