I had written another article earlier this month but when I realized how close Field Day (FD) was I decided to try to eke out another article.
Yes, Field Day is nearing! You still have time to deplete the ARRL supply of Tshirts, ball caps, mugs and other labeled items if that is your thing. This year LCARC has been fortunate to have a real dynamo working to put FD together, Michelle Pelky. It is always difficult to find members who will work on a project so the entire club benefits, but Michelle has stuck with it and I think we have a really great FD before us!
This year’s FD will be held in the parking lot of the Oregon Coast Community College (OCCC). Yes, I know, located in central Lincoln County again. We looked for sites throughout the county and this worked out to be the best. If we had found sites either in the north or south county it would be a long trip for those in the opposite end of the county. This is a really good site and OCCC has been very welcoming. We will see how propagation works out for us.
Setup will begin Friday 23 June at noon. Setup and tear down can sometimes be shorthanded, so if you can help please do. Hopefully we can set up on the email so members can volunteer just like we do for the Barrel to Key and other activities. Operation will begin Saturday and end Sunday with tear down following. Things always come down faster than they go up. Please let us know when you can participate and help. We normally operate two stations so if you want to spend some time on the air let us know! Or maybe you just like to talk to interested people who show up to see what amateur radio is all about. We always have food, fun and companionship at our Field Day sites.
One thing we always encourage is if you have a rig or antenna you would like to try bring it to FD and the members will help you get it on the air and evaluate its performance. Another aspect is help in using your radio. It is amazing how often one of our members can help another member learn their radio. I know I had used my Icom IC 746pro for a year or two and N7TEE Dave Sanford taught me a lot of nuances and what some of those buttons actually do!
If you have not operated High Frequency (HF) because you don’t have a HF radio or you don’t have the license; this is your opportunity! Yes, you can opperate HF as long as a control operator is with you! That is how Michelle Pelky got hooked on working the HF station during Field Day a few years ago. She had so much fun working the 20 meter band that we had to “pull the plug” to get her off the radio so we could tear down. LOL
Put the weekend of June 24th – 25th on your calendars! Car pool or check to bring your RV if there is still space. Field Day has something for everyone. It is fun, informative and interesting! Plan to join us in the OCCC parking lot!