[SMCARA] Field Day 2018

[barrettac at md.metrocast.net]

SMCARA members,

At the time of writing, Field Day 2018 is in our rear view window. 
Sunday mid-day the antennas were
disassembled, station gear loaded into totes, chairs put away, and as 
the last vehicle, I looked into
the vacant empty tent from my vehicles rear view mirror that bustled 
with activity just hours before.

I recalled the qso’s were flowing in one-by-one, voices filled the air 
with reporting class to the other
stations, The sun shone brightly and the damp heat was building. All the 
makings of a great field day exercise were present.

I consider it a great honor that I was able to spend this Field Day 
exercise with my fellow members of SMCARA. While
I may not have planned for all the failures which occurred, (or 
necessarily had a backup plan for either), we finished
the exercise of proficiency with a greater scoring more than doubling 
the effort from 2017.

I must say that all of you are a great group to be with, and I wouldn’t 
have wanted to spend it with
anyone else. If I was able to enhance or influence just one of you with 
a “takeaway” from field day, then
I achieved what I set out to do.

Personally, I’d like to thank: Tom Clarke- W4OKW – You are a great 
planning and logistical coordinator, (lets do it
again next year) Gene N3NO – A networking KING, (I now get it-and 
understand it), June- KC3GYL – the geedunk
  coordinator ( I gained a couple pounds off this weekend), Jason- N3YUG- 
You spent a lot of time with that new
young ham who stopped by . He will remember that for his lifetime (and 
it was noticed), and there are many others
throughout the club which assisted with the setup and teardown of our FD 
site. Thank you to everyone for a
successful event. I had a blast, enjoyed it and am looking forward to 
the next one already.

I’ve begun deconstructing the log and package for submission to the 
ARRL. When I get it complete, I will have my partner, Tom, check over it 
before we submit it to the ARRL for our entry. I think we did great and 
achieved what we set out to do as a club.

I’ve also started a “lessons learned” document. While items are fresh in 
my mind, I am making notes of things
  that failed, backups needed, fixes or even just better suggestions of 
what we can improve on as a club
overall. If there is anything you would like to add to this list, as a 
suggestions, afterthought, or
replacement thereof, please email it to me at barrettac at md.metrocast.net 
and I will add it in.

I hope to have an overview presentation available at the next club 
meeting on how we broke out.

My last thought in closing is: Sunday afternoons cold shower had never 
felt so good!

73’s,
Tony, N5TB