[SMCARA] Armed Forces Day Communications Test

[Jason Rearick]

Tom,  It would be great to be involved with this event next year, keep me 
posted!

Jason Rearick
N3YUG



-----Original Message----- 
From: Clarke, Tom AIR4.0P NATOPS
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 2:58 PM
To: smcara at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [SMCARA] Armed Forces Day Communications Test

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


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