Bill
KCØWIM and Doug KDØUGB assembling the 2m VHF antenna.
(KCØWIM photo). The RARC field day event this year was a smashing success, operators, and bystanders all got a taste of what Ham Radio can be under abnormal circumstances. The point of Field Day is to simulate a catastrophic emergency where permanent structures and systems are unavailable and the Ham must fend for themselves. We operated from the Cahill farm in south-east Minnesota for the year 2007 event, using no power from the electrical grid to run the radios, instead we relied on generator and battery power. Yes we even used solar power! This year the RARC chose the 3A category for entry. One Morse Code (CW) station, one Voice (SSB) station, and one digital (PSK31) station were in operation at the same time. The bonus "Get-On-The-Air" (GOTA) station doesn't count towards the transmitter class, but instead is there as a 'free' station, to allow non-hams or those who don't operate HF much, to make contacts under MUCH less stressful circumstances. Peter N8MHD operated his own station under his call sign at "QRP" or low-power levels. We also put together and operated a VHF station for a good part of the contest, Mel, KC0P, headed up the VHF operation in what I call the "Mel-mobile" pictured here.
Mel
KCØP's VHF station. (KCØWIM photo) This station attempted contacts with both the International Space Station (ISS) and OSCAR satellites. We were able to hear at least one satellite, but were unable to complete a contact. Mel brought along equipment for 50mhz, 146mhz, 440mhz, 1.2ghz, and 10ghz. We completed contacts on multiple bands, and even tried a "DX" contact on 10ghz with a station out of the twin cities. I enjoyed watching Mel methodically make a contact with one station on about 4 different bands, each time agreeing on a frequency and who would call first, and just-like-that he would log them. It wasn't quite the 50-60 contacts per hour we were experiencing on the "big" HF stations, but he rolled them in just the same.
How many hams does it take
to put up an antenna? Art
KCØJKP, Mike NØMGY, Doug KDØUGB, Don KC0TST, and
Pat NØADQ on ladder. (KCØWIM photo) Field day is all about improvisation, you make things up as you go. The ladder makes a very convenient antenna tower when lashed to something relatively solid. We also put a high definition UHF tv antenna up on a hay wagon, its front guard rail provided the lashing point. When you're operating under "Emergency" conditions, you get to make up new ways to do things. The recent hurricane disasters brought standard communication infrastructure down completely. A hurricane doesn't spare ham radio towers either, so one has to make-do. During the event the G5RV antenna designated for the digital station broke, and we had to improvise another dipole and support it. So far we haven't attached a lawn chair as an antenna, but that is on my list of "things to try."
The afternoon began at 1:00, with a sudden awakening of the bands to the "CQ Field Day" of probably every serious operator in the western hemisphere. Operators frantically try to make contact with as many stations as possible in 24 hours. Field day could never happen without equipment and of course FOOD!!! The RARC and its members would like to thank the following sponsors who provided this most important aspect of field day:
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 Peter WØSA
at the
CW station. (KØMD photo) This station consisted of an Icom 756ProIII and Tokyo Hy-Power amplifier, putting out ~600w of cw into vertical dipoles for 20 and 40 meters (14 and 7mhz respectively.) The station was under computer control, saving many thousands of dits and dahs on the paddles. Fred, K4IU, Peter N8MHD, Scott WØMD, and of course Peter Cross WØSA manned the CW station. Why use Morse Code now you ask? Well, they made 1381 contacts, while the voice and digital stations combined only made 1187 contacts. Throughout the course of the contest, these guys just kept plugging away, running our total score up 2 points at a time. It really pays to have a good CW operator or six! My favorite station was the voice station, because of course anybody can sit down and operate. I'm not so fast with morse code. An Icom 756Pro and SB-220 amplifier fed this 3 element beam antenna with 800-1000w. It was interesting to listen to the generators straining under the load of each station. One needs a very stiff power supply to make a 1500w amplifier put out 1500w (the legal limit for those non-hams reading this).  Main antenna for the HF Phone
station (KGØKJ photo) I personally racked up a couple of hundred contacts in the wee-morning hours, and logged #799 before the caffinated beverages quit working and I headed home. There was many other operators including but not limited to: Dave KØVH, Scott WØMD, BJ, KCØNPF, Pat, NØADQ, and [others]. This year's strategy was to hold a frequency and wait for the contacts to come to us, rather than 'hunt and pounce' operation which we've used in years past. Pat noted that this year our contact levels were about 20% higher than in years past, so something worked.  Peter N8MHD at his call
separate QRP Elecraft K2
station; Randall (listening station) and Bob
ABØBW look on.
Peter took the opportunity for some tent camping.
(KGØKJ photo) Of course, 1000w makes it easier to contact stations, but
that's not
the only way to go. Peter N8MHD operated the entire contest at 5w,
operating an Elecraft K2 off of a solar charged battery. The solar
panel was enough to operate the radio while receiving, the battery was
necessary for transmission and when a cloud rolled by.
(continued next page)
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