posted 7/3/11
N0BIXie sent out a note with this photo in advance of Field Day indicating where his "Field Day" sight would be. It will be interesting to see what kind of log he turns into the ARRL!
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Hi Keith,
Before you leave, here's an advanced copy of "N0BIX Field Day, 2011 -- peace and quiet!"
73, Bob
Hi
N0BIXie!
Hmm
- it looks quite DEAD to me! Plus I don't see any antennas or
radios. Besides, depending upon just how technical you want to get, it
doesn't much look like a field and I am not going to say what it does look
like.
Where
are your hand out brochures for your guests?
Say
Bob! Are you trying to tell me something?
You
aren't shopping for a new home, are you?
I
will agree that it will probably be quiet.
73,
Keith
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I bet that is one Field Day site that they are "dieing" to see! 73.......Lou
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I bet the bands are DEAD .73, Tom W3TOM
Hey Gang
The Silverado ARC in Napa Ca holds FD at the Memorial Gardens in Napa. As Section Manager I had the privilege of visiting their site but I never went there after dark. The bands were never "Dead" sometimes very quiet and I always suspected their ATV signals had ghosts.
Ti-Michelle, NJ6T
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Maybe
we should make this a cut-out
Sort
of like that of our President?
We
may not have
73
Charlie NN3V
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Ed. Note - I do not recall the IOOK having any meetings, minutes or annual dues!
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According to Randy - KD8OEA (ex - AB8CO) after looking at N0BIX's photo he said "Now, when those folks go QRT, they go QRT!"
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Keith - WA8ZWJ and Randy - KD8OEA load up the van and head
to WV for Field Day. Yes, you can see that both versions of Flat KBob are
along for the ride!
Keith and Randy arrive in Pennsboro, WV and meet Charlie -
WB8NSL in the parking lot of the P&H restaurant for lunch.
Don - KE8NK (Da Bear) joined us for lunch as well!
If you saw the IOOK HamVention web page, this shot has some
significance!
"Let's go this away!"
Randy and Keith go over to Charlie's and help him move his
operating desk a few inches to the left.
The reason for the move was to gain easier access to the
outlet shown bottom right that was behind the desk.
The is Charlie's Vic 20 that he uses every Sunday morning
to assist in his copy of the CW net on 80 meters.
Station WB8NSL!
Then we went to Da Bear's near Harrisville to set up the
fly that we call "The Annex" where we can visit without bothering the
operators.
You can see the operating tent is already set up in the background.
Da Bear's Ford 8N tractor.
Randy catches Keith setting up his camera on the tripod for
the series of set up shots to follow.
This is the BEFORE shot!
If you notice in the background, Da Bear is plumbing the water for our wash
up sink.
Da Bear starts unloading parts for the canopy.
All the support pipes are laid out by size.
ZWJ carries the canopy cover while NSL "helps"!
OK! We have the frame together!
Let's open up the cover and place it on the support
structure!
Now we use some bungy thingys to attach the canopy cover to
the support structure.
OK - so you need some more - here they come!
The cover is secure!
Now we move the canopy into place where it will be for the
next couple of days.
We are now ready to start setting things up in the
Annex! Hey! Look who showed up! It's Fast Eddie - W8ED!
L to R - Don - KE8NK, Randy - KD8OEA, Charlie - WB8NSL, Ed - W8ED, Keith -
WA8ZWJ
The Flow Manager gets busy and starts setting up the
keg! Yee haw!
Ahhhh, we have flow!
Several of us sample the brew! It is GOOD! And
cold! Yee haw! Way to go Fast!
Can you figure out which hand belongs to whom? I can't! Maybe
Randy can cuz he took this shot!
Time to set up the G5RV antenna for the Annex station.
Would you believe that this fishing pole has never been used for anything
other than to put antennas up in the trees?
Charlie starts sorting out the G5RV antenna.
We have one end up and now are working on the middle.
Hmm, that cast was a bad one. The line did not go
over a big enough limb so ZWJ has to try again.
Now we are cooking!
Fast Eddie brings up the center support.
Now we are working on the other end of the G5RV.
"The rope is secure! Haul her away!"
"I am Fast Eddie and I don't always do things
fast!"
Ah, Randy - KD8OEA has his home away from home set up!
Howdy Flat KBob! Glad to see you could make it!
Da Bear sez "CW is to radio what climax is to
sex!"
Naw, I ain't a gonna go there! :-)
Fast Eddie sets up his HF station in the Annex because
ZWJ's would not light up!
Hmm - I guess you ought to use a rig more often than once a year...
ZWJ sets up the dual band radio to stay in touch with the
local gang.
It is dinner time! Yes, the IOOK travels on it's
stomach!
Da Bear and his son-in-law, Mike - KN8J have set up the
primary operating station and logging/duplicate checking computer.
ZWJ checks the schedule for W1AW and the ARRL CW Bulletin.
Joe - WA8CND has joined the gang! L to R - WA8CND, KD8OEA, WB8NSL,
WA8ZWJ
Here the guys work at copying the bulletin.
Man! Lots of interference made it tough copy.
The bulletin continues...
"Hey Charlie! I can't make heads or tails out of
mine! What did you get?"
Thankfully there is another bulletin at 11PM. We shall try again at
Charlie's tonight.
But first, how about a rousing game of Cribbage?
ZWJ and Charlie's XYL, Pam are playing.
Charlie has been teaching Pam how to play Cribbage. I
think she has it down!
Thankfully we did get the ARRL CW Bulletin copied but we didn't get any photo documentation of it.
Time for bed!
Time to head to breakfast!
Fast Eddie tries to talk Joe's ear off!
Ah, another country is heard from Tyler - KD8AJH joins us
for breakfast!
Charlie has talked the right ear off of Tyler! See! It's gone!
Keith orders the FULL Lumberjack!
2 eggs, 2 slices of toast, 2 sausage patties, fried taters
and two huge pancakes!
Yes, there was sugar free syrup!
ZWJ was too busy eating to talk anybodies ear off!
Now here's a shot you don't see every day! ZWJ could
not finish it!
Here's Joe trying to talk Da Bear's ear off!
Randy gets a candid shot of ZWJ using the wall as a tripod
for the breakfast shot!
Here's the breakfast gang!
L to R - KE8NK, KD8OEA, WB8NSL, KD8AJH, WA8ZWJ, W8ED, WA8CND
This is a neat mural on the wall at the P&H.
P&H stands for Pennsboro Harrisville!
This is Casey! She is a delightful waitress!
Hmm, there are a few I would like to add to the list....
This is the breakfast gang in front of a mural behind the
Fire Department in Pennsboro which is next to the P&H.
Tyler could not stick around. He had people to see and chores to do!
Da Bear's Den is located behind the 4H grounds. You
have to go through the 4H grounds to get to Da Bear's.
This is a panorama shot of part of the 4H grounds. If
you look just left of the driveway in the center you can see the top of Da
Bear's house.
Dis is Da Bear's Den. Nice ain't it?
Dis is Da Field where we do Field Day. The operations
tent is on the left and the Annex is on the right.
Here's Mike - KN8J! Mike is Da Bear's son-in-law.
He and his wife live behind Da Bear's Den in a nice home of their own.
Don and Mike make preparations to raise the tower.
Stretching out the ropes that we will use to haul antennas
up to the top of the tower.
Up she goes! Man! The tractor sure make easy
work out of this job!
Mike prepares to insert the bolt to secure the tower in an
upright position.
And she is up! Yee haw!
As it turns out we only used the tower to support one end of the G5RV antenna
used by the main operating station!
Mike stretches out the coax that will feed the G5RV.
This G5RV is for the main operating station.
It is too bad this shot is washed out! This is Da
bear's traditional set up Field Day Heathkit shirt that he wears every year!
No matter how much I played with Photoshop I could not make this look any
better! :-(
The wooden pole was driven into the ground. Fast
Eddie is taping the coax to the pole to provide strain relief for the center of
the G5RV antenna.
That way the weight of the coax doe not pull the ladder line any closer to
the ground.
Randy is blowing up his mattress.
ZWJ has blown up his mattress too and has made the bed in
the back of the van!
Joe is enjoying a 30th Anniversary IOOK cigar!
Don prepared the coax for the 2 meter beam to be used as an
alternate contact station.
On the left is a dual band vertical and the 2 meter beam is
on the right.
Flat KBob is watching all the activities from the inside of
the van.
Our first visitors arrive! They are Ed - KC8ZVW and
Lanette - KD8FGM.
They were headed to a ballgame so could not stay and operate.
It's getting near 2PM when things really start to happen
here! Mike is preparing the dual band radio to try to contact someone via
a satellite! Fast Eddie is learning while Charlie is reading.
We are ON THE AIR! The first satellite pass is also
happening!
Da Bear listens to the output of the satellite and aims the
antenna while Mike tries to contact someone.
Since the satellite is moving Don has to listen carefully
and constantly readjust the antenna for peak signal.
Randy is first on the air on the HF station while Fast
Eddie runs the logging program.
This is how we keep neat and clean during Field Day.
Short night last night. Gots to stack a couple ZZZ's.
Now Fast Eddie is operating while Tyler logs.
Time for another satellite pass. I think they were
trying to contact the International Space Station on this pass.
Keith, Charlie and Randy sort out the CW Bulletin copied on
tape from last night.
As you read the bulletin below, you will see that there are some unusual
words used as well as some strange grammar as well.
Relaxing a bit after getting the bulletin down on paper.
Time for another satellite pass...
At one point you can hear Mike's voice being retransmitted
by the satellite.
Mike's friend Jason (no call) joins the group to see what
Field Day is all about.
Keith is working on the Field Day Press Release that
Charlie will submit to the newspaper on Monday.
It's time for the last good satellite pass and Mike is busy
operating the main station so Keith fills in for him while Da Bear aims the
antenna.
Jason gets a chance to operate while Mike oversees and
logs.
Fast Eddie is logging while Mike operates.
Jason is now logging while Mike operates.
Mike says the G5RV is working well. Anything you can hear you can work
and they always answer on the first try!
Just before dinner, Charlie managed to send out the Message To The SCM.
Da Bear is cooking Da Burgers! Do you want cheese
with that?
Jason logs while Tyler operates.
Joe has folded a dollar bill so that it looks like a bow
tie!
Joe is a very talented guy! What will he think of
next?
Steve - KJ4CWQ stops by to check out Field Day. He is
a relatively new ham to the area.
Joe is having too much fun!
Fast Eddie catches a screen shot just past 9PM. Look
at the rate of QSO's per hour - they are racking them and stacking them!
Randy logs while Fast Eddie operates.
Tyler is operating...
Randy is logging...
Fast, Tyler and Randy work the shift until midnight.
It's midnight and Da Bear is logging for Mike. They
have switched from SSB to CW and are on 40 Meters.
Mike can send with his left hand and type with his right
hand.
They are just getting started...
OK! It's 4AM and time for a shift change! Mike
and Don ran 40 Meters CW and now Keith and Charlie will see what 80 Meters CW is
doing.
Here Charlie is logging for Keith while they continue to
operate 80 CW. Notice that is light outside now?
The breakfast hour is approaching.
Joe logs while Keith still operates 80 CW.
Fast Eddie finally has his PSK station up and running in
the Annex. It must be time for breakfast!
Da Bear is fixing Skunk Breakfast - a traditional Field Day
favorite for this group!
Skunk Breakfast
1 pound sausage, 1 pound potatoes O'Brian, 1 dozen eggs, tortilla shells, cheese
Brown the sausage. Use the grease (or add some if the sausage is too lean) to fix the taters. Stir in the dozen eggs. Warm the tortilla shells. Serve with salsa! Delicious!
Joe tries to get his tortilla closed. It's tough when
it's that full!
Fast continues to work on PSK during breakfast.
Load 'em up!
Fast making a PSK contact while breakfast cools...
Joe says "Yes, I'll have another! Thanks!"
Mmm Mmm good!
The IOOK travels on it's stomach!
Speaking of stomach's, here is Bill, KB8HEK!
Congratulations to Bill! He just got his General!
Randy logs while Joe operates.
Fast Eddie is chatting with Steve's XYL, Tonya and their
daughter, Gina.
Yes, Steve is back - now to operate while Joe logs for him.
Joe is talking Gina's ear off!
Guess who's bellies these are?
WB8NSL on the left and KB8HEK on the right.
Mike is operating while Charlie logs and has fun with Gina.
OK - actually Mike is logging for himself. Charlie is just playing back
up.
It's 2PM and Field Day is over for our group!
The time flies when you are having fun! Yes, it started to sprinkle as
we finished the contest so we took the photo inside the Annex. All the
equipment and tables have been put away already in anticipation of this.
Because of the light rain, Da Bear decides to leave the
canopy on the frame and let it dry out before taking it apart.
We have moved the canopy to a cement pad behind Da Bear's Den.
Time to take down the G5RV and put in the box for next
year.
Yep, no fun being had here!
Another shot of Gina. Isn't she cute?
Da Bear uses the tractor to put some pressure on the cable
in preparation to lowering the tower.
Mike works at removing the bolt that holds the tower in
place.
Stubborn bolt...
She is slowly being lowered to the ground...
She is nearly down!
Yes, it is still sprinkling.
Many thanks to Charlie and Pam for their hospitality!
Many thanks to Da Bear and Mike for all the work they do in preparing and setting things up for our Field Day.
Many thanks to Da Bear for providing us a great place to have our Field Day!
Many thanks to all the photo contributors for the shots included in this presentation. They were:
KD8OEA, KE8NK, N0BIX, W8ED & WA8ZWJ
Fast Eddie and Charlie worked Sunday afternoon and evening on the summary for our Field Day efforts. They report that we made a total of 3002 points. We had a total of 748 different contacts in our 1A operation. Man, the multipliers for CW and bonus points do add up, don't they?
Just FYI, Da Bear said he had big plans for Sunday afternoon. He said "I've got to do some mechanical work this afternoon. I've got to put a rear end in a recliner!"
Me too! 73....
Respectfully submitted, Keith - WA8ZWJ
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This article appeared in the local newspaper...
Submitted by Bill - KB8HEK
