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 Previous: Goals for the Alamo Area Radio Organization's 2005 Field DayAnd how to achieve them! |  Next: The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler |
By Michael Adams, WA2MWT
mailto:wa2mwt@arrl.net
June 20, 2005
ARRL Field Day 2005 will be my 10th in a row. There have been years where I eagerly awaited the big weekend for months in advance, and there have been other times when I really did not even feel like going. There have been Field Days where I sat around and socialized most of the weekend away, and then again there have been years I was active from start to finish, trying to earn as many points as possible.
ARRL Field Day 2005 is shaping up as my most anticipated and involved weekend to date, and the lure of the first weekend of summer has nothing to do with it. I fully expect to be exhausted by late Sunday afternoon and after a good night's sleep, spend the following week sending out press releases, replete with pictures, vividly describing a whirlwind 24 hours of total Amateur Radio activity, excitement and accomplishment.
Since a successful Field Day requires the preparation, participation and perspiration of a great many Amateur Radio operators, I have decided to share my 10 reasons for setting aside the last weekend in June, this year, in the hope that many of my fellow hams will follow suit.
Reason 1: Dan Henderson, N1ND, ARRL Contest Branch Manager, says: "Turn back the clock of your mind to your very first Field Day experience..." I have done that and I remember thinking, at my first Field Day, that it was amazing that 50 hams could create a miniature village of 13 stations, sleeping and eating accommodations, with emergency power and antennas that were safely installed and functioned flawlessly. Eventually, 100 people would be gathered for a game plan that flowed seamlessly. Since it was a county facility, strict rules were adhered to and at the conclusion, there was not a donut crumb left behind.
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Reason 2: The airwaves are not as busy as they used to be. Quite frankly, many of us have been drawn to the allure of cable and dish television, computers and cell phones. A lot of ham equipment is underutilized. It is time to dust it off, pack it up and take it to Field Day. Let the spectrum again crackle with the voice and CW of thousands upon thousands of rigs. A hoarse voice and stiff fingers Monday morning will be good things.
Reason 3: Emergency Preparedness is back at center stage. Since 9/11, this nation has been at a state of heightened alert. I will be hosting a Class F Emergency Operations Center for the third year in a row. The Ramsey, New Jersey, Office of Emergency Management (of which I am the director) will play host to the Metroplex Amateur Radio Club (of which I am the Public and Government Relations Officer). A Class 4F site will be in operation for the entire 24 hour period. The Mayor and Council have turned their Municipal Building over to the group, with their blessings, realizing the importance of emergency communications.
Reason 4: Site visitation by an elected government official. We need the support of our local, county, state and federal officials if we are to exist. Last year, the Mayor, County Executive, an Assemblyman and an Assemblywoman, and representatives from the Governor's and Congressman's office presented resolutions, proclamations and commendations--in person--at the Class F station, and also at the Class 13A station operated by the 10-70 Repeater Association. The dignitaries all knew how to get to the Municipal Building and they were then escorted to the Campgaw County Park Ski Area, in Mahwah, where they witnessed the 10-70 Club kick off the contest at 2 PM. They will all be back this year.
Reason 5: Public location. Amateur Radio needs to be showcased for the general public. In the weeks leading up to Field Day 2004, the Ramsey Fire Department's aerial ladder truck was seen extended over the municipal complex, as new antennas and hard wire were installed. A permanent antenna was placed in the attic and UPS started delivering new radios. It did not take long for local residents to inquire as to what was going on, and we were only too happy to show them personally. Again this year, the public will be invited to stop by for a tour and a demonstration.
Reason 6: Get-On-The-Air (GOTA) Station. This year, we are going to invite the local Boy Scout troop to visit the Campgaw ski lodge and possibly camp out. Other groups will be invited to the EOC and with the inducement of the Youth Element Bonus, it is anticipated that several, young aspiring hams will try a QSO, under the watchful eyes and control of our veterans.
Reason 7: Location, location, location. Do you want a rugged, outdoors experience with absolutely no frills (i.e., no bathroom or kitchen facilities)? We will invite those Bergen County hams to join the Ramapo Mountain Amateur Radio Club (RMARC) at the New Jersey State Forest Fire Tower, high in the Ramapo Mountains. The mosquitoes have been known to lick the Deet off of the "49" operators and then move in for the kill. Do you want to set up camp at a beautiful and rustic ski lodge, nestled among hundreds of unspoiled acres of county parkland? Then, you belong with the 10-70 Repeater Association amateurs (and an occasional bear). Do you want to be in the security and structure of a government building? Those hams will be invited to join the Metroplex Amateur Radio Club, at the Ramsey Municipal Building.
Reason 8: Emergency power and temporary antennas. There are few areas in the United States that do not feel the wrath of the seasonal violent storm. The recent devastating tsunami challenged our foreign ham brothers and sisters to the ultimate and in the finest tradition, they responded and performed in a stellar manner. I have heard hams say, "If my power goes out, I'll go sit in my car and operate." Maybe. Field Day gives us the yearly opportunity to operate generators, after maintenance and safety checks have been completed, and install temporary antennas, from the sophisticated to those shot up in a tree. The Ramsey EOC is wired to operate on 12-V battery power for an extended period, with a charger hooked up to a generator. The system has never been tested for a 24 hour period before. The fire tower and ski lodge sites will utilize large generators provided by local Offices of Emergency Management.
Reason 9: Practice makes perfect. Logbooks and ARRL radiogram pads are no longer big sellers. Many National Traffic System nets generate little if any traffic. Field Day weekend is a great chance to polish up rusty practices and "do things by the book." Make no mistake about it; there is a lot of paperwork involved in a successful club Field Day. All activity must be documented, there are several pages of rules and regulations that must be adhered to closely, and the final reports must be at ARRL Headquarters within 30 days. And almost every year, there are new categories to be considered. I look forward to copying the W1AW Bulletin and composing 10 radiograms to send to ARRL officials. And I am willing to assist in preparing the final reports, because we can all use a yearly refresher in pencil pushing.
Reason 10: The Ultimate Reunion. Remember what Dan Henderson said about thinking back to your very first Field Day experience. And your second, and third...This is the only time of the year when I get to meet and chat with all of the hams I have gotten to know over the years. Since I will be going to three Field Day sites, it is going to be a challenge remembering names, let alone call signs. True, I do see the same diehards at club meetings and hamfests, but there are literally hundreds of hams in Bergen County that I have ragchewed with over the past 10 years.
As I approach a Field Day site, I like looking at license
plates for familiar call signs. Often the eclectic antennas on the cars bring
back fond memories. And many amateurs are still sporting the same hats, only
laden with more pins. And I will prepared to listen to a lot of health stories,
for it seems that while Amateur Radio operators age, their equipment never
seems to. Yes, I am definitely looking forward to Field Day 2005, on June 25
and 26, and I am hoping that an awful lot of hams feel the same way that I do.
| Previous: Goals for the Alamo Area Radio Organization's 2005 Field Day And how to achieve them! | Next: The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler |
