[W2CRA] Pedestrian Mobile on Field Day

Mon Jun 25 13:52:59 EDT 2012

For a different perspective on Field Day see the message below.

Tony
W2HWW

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Message: 14
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:21:33 -0600
From: "Mike Olbrisch"<mike-2007 at elp.rr.com>
Subject: [QRP-L] Field Day 2012 - final result.
To: "'QRP-L'"<qrp-l at mailman.qth.net>
Message-ID:<[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="US-ASCII"

In 2009 and 2010 I worked Field Day as a 1B 1-operator solar powered QRP
station using my FT-817 and some kind of portable antenna.  In 2011 I was in
Germany, I didn't play Field Day at all.  This year I wanted to do something
different.  With the completion of my Pedestrian Mobile radio earlier this
year, I thought I would try my hand at Pedestrian Mobile.  Yes - I knew it
would be most difficult, but it would also be FUN!  If it isn't FUN - then
why do it?

Right from the start there was a question.  What class was I going to be in?
Some thought that 1B was correct.  But another pointed out that part of the
1B rules say 1 or 2 person, but "other provisions same for class-A".
Class-A states:  All equipment (including antennas) must lie within a circle
whose diameter does not exceed 300 meters (1000 feet).

Nowhere did it state that the circle can move.  Since I intended to walk
much farther than 1000 feet, I didn't think Class-B would apply.  Since I
was walking, and no two QSOs were made in the same place, it looked like 1C
was it, even if I did not use a "vehicle".  Isn't that what "Mobile" means?
In motion?  So with 1C-WTX decided, I got started.  I don't think I am in
any danger of winning anything, so having FUN was what it was all about.

Call sign:  KD9KC
Class:  1C
Section:  WTX
Time on air:  10.5 hrs
Distance walked:  19.92 miles
Average speed:  1.9 MPH
QSOs made:  104
Sections worked:  49
QSOs per mile:  5.23

FUN:  Can't be measured!

PHOTOS can be seen at:http://www.qrz.com/db/KD9KC/

I have a 4.98 mile loop I often walk along in the Upper Valley Region of El
Paso for the 10 Bar-X 10m net on Tuesday evenings.  This loop is located on
the west side of town, west of I-10 but east of the Rio Grande.  The area
has many canals for irrigation, and water was flowing for Field Day.  This
loop allowed me to pass home and refill my water before starting another
loop.  I walked 2 loops on Saturday, and 2 loops on Sunday.  Saturday's
first loop was done on 15m.  One of the first QSOs I made was with Germany.
Not bad for a backpack mobile.  The 5 miles just flew by, and I had 23
stations in the log.  I refilled the water again, and stepped out for loop 2
now on 20m.  20m was in good shape, and I had about 15 stations in the log.
But at about the half-way point I had run out of stations to work, and 20m
was too crowded to hear the weaker ones.  So with the sun setting, I stopped
and switched to 40m.  This was a mistake!  After 30 minutes I didn't have a
single 40m contact.  So I decided to try 15m again.  It was a struggle, but
I found 19 more stations for a total of 54 on the first day.  I arrived home
tired and sore.

Sunday morning I got up and started the first loop around 1300 UTC.  This
loop was on 20m because there wasn't a single station on 15m at that hour.
The first 5-mile loop found me with 27 contacts in the log.  Sometimes a
weak one was having trouble hearing me, so I would toss my drag-wire in the
canal with the hope that the water might help.  I had invited a "community
Service" police officer to observe my operation, and he actually did catch
me as the canal crossed the street where he was patrolling.  He was
interested in just how far I talked.  I told him so far Sunday was not as
good as Saturday when I worked HI, AK, and DL.  As I finished that loop I
just stopped for a refill of ice water, and went right back out on 15m.  The
band wasn't great, but it was building.  Since I had about worked out 20m,
it was 15m or nothing for the final loop.  I was tired enough that almost
any excuse at all would have kept me home.  But I couldn't find an excuse.
15m really started building and I was finding more stations I hadn't worked
yet.  With about 10 minutes to go I knew I had reached my goal of 100
contacts.  And I was able to work 4 more before the end.  I was slowing down
I guess, because when 1800 UTC ticked over, I was still several hundred
yards from home.

Toward the end, I called a few stations that I had worked previously.  They
promptly informed me I was a "DUPE".  Very sorry guys.  It was getting hard
to maintain a dupe list while walking.  I kind of lost track toward the end.

It was fun.  Really.  Next year I should have the Bicycle Mobile done.  A
bicycle is a "vehicle", right?

Vy73 - Mike - KD9KC.
El Paso, Texas - DM61rt.
W5-SOTA Association Manager.
NA-SOTA info:http://na-sota.org/