Feild Day

2003

And The Winner is….

By

Don Thomas, W6LRG

 

     Well kids, it seems like old fashion telegraphy, with Mike, KI6PR, at the key, and his wife Janet doing the logging, He won the points race at this years Turlock Amateur Radio club’s field day event,  It was held at the Castle Air Museum, near Atwater, the last weekend of June. He logged 173 contacts for 346 points on the 40 meter c.w. band.  His radio, a well used Ten-Tec Scout, with plug-in band modules, was all he needed to pull it off.

     “My antenna started out as a “half square,” but due to the closeness of the trees, and the other antennas, I ended up with an off-center-fed, full-wave ‘wad of wire,’” was Mike’s comment.  The club will add his name to the Field Day Trophy and let him keep it until next year.

     Larry, K6IY was the runner-up, with 107 contacts and 214 points on 20 meters c.w.  Ron, AA6D and John, KG6NS had 213 contacts/points on 40 meters and 80 meters s.s.b. and on 80 meters c.w. for third place.  Richard, KE6RGB, and Mike, KD6ZEH, on the club’s portable tower and mono-band beam, made 170 contacts on 20 meters s.s.b. and came in fourth.  Jim, N6JUH had 29 ssb contacts on  a poor 15 meters band.  Dick, K6SUU, and Don, W6LRG, apparently lost their log sheets – or something.

     Last years winner, Michael, KD6ZEH, tried to log some stations on my Kenwood.  However, my five-band home-modified “Atwater Bug Catcher MK 2 H.S.” (Hamstick) mobile antenna didn’t help him much in the pile-ups. Most of the other club’s operators were using better and higher antennas.  He did spell Richard late Saturday evening and logged a few more.

     The other major accomplishment  in the event was when Ron, AA6D fired up his old Kenwood TS-120 and his MFJ antenna tuner, and not only put “fire in the wire,” but he also put fire in the SR-71 Black Bird,  displayed  close to the Field Day Site.

     “I was sitting here working Field Day yesterday and today.  I got to eyeballing that SR-71 spy plane, that’s sitting right off the corner of the park, and wondered if it would tune-up on the ham-bands,” Ron thought.  He hooked up to it, loaded it up on 40 meters, and at 9: 27 am, Pacific Coast time, contacted the Santa Barbara Field Day station, AD6EZ, 2A-SB. Robert,W6TR, from San Francisco, was driving through that town and Ron grabbed him.

     Years ago Ron loaded up a smoke-stack at March Air Force Base. However, that is no comparison to his getting a signal out of the “Black Bird.”   I was standing beside him for those two contacts, but don’t recall what Ron added to the W6BXN call sign for those two contacts.  Maybe, it should have been something like, “aeronautical, parked mobile?” Although, to use that term properly, he would have to climb into the plane and operate from the “drivers seat,” I would think.

     Another high point of the get-together, was “Dickyboys” (K6SUU) sumptuous barbecued  hamburgers.    Maybe that term is overstating his cooking skills somewhat.    In any event, the burgers, spud salad and chili beans had 37 drooling hams and guests lined up.   Your club’s president, hit the line twice, to insure that the menu was praiseworthy – it was.  And I want to report that Dick didn’t fall over backwards on any chairs and roll in the dirt.  For one thing, the surface around the site was grass. The other thing was, I guess, he forgot to bring his vino.

     Dick, our club vice president, spent a lot of time trying to get the International Space Station in his logbook.  He was ready Saturday morning at 18:25 Coordinated Universal Time. It came up over the horizon and an operator aboard the station came on with a strong signal.  Dick tracked it and “hollered” at it most of the pass – no luck.   It seems he had his transmit frequency set a little off. 

     He was ready for them on the next two passes. However, no one was transmitting from the station.  His third attempt to contact the space station was on Sunday morning, when it was only two degrees above the horizon.  Their signal was too weak. Anyway, Dick is a darned good “BBQ burger cooker.”

     Last but not least, was the accomplishments, or lack thereof, by your club president.   I was quite busy doing my usual thing, keeping an eye on everyone else.  I had a lot of questions to ponder, and answer.  Additionally, I was the “keeper” of the Museum gate key, and had to regularly open the gate for the incoming radio operators. That camp-cot that was laying next to my operation was there solely to pile electronic equipment on, to keep the gear off the damp grass.

     A good time was had by all, as they say.  A few additional members of the club, and other Amateur Radio Operators visited the site and cheered us on.  This event occurs the last full weekend of June each year.  Put it on your calendar for next year.  See you there.