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BPSK31 is my favorite Digital mode to use during normal times. It’s easy to setup, low power is all that is usually needed and makes a good starting point for Digital. Make many contacts first to understand the software and set up some macros to use to make Field Day operations easier. Over the years of watching digital on 20 meters, it seems several stations setup for the event but overdrive their transmitted audio, splattering all over the bandwidth allowed by the radio for the frequency chosen. MT63, PSK31, Olivia, Hellschreiber and CW (of course) are all modes I’ve operated with the MixW 3.2.105 software. Calibrating your sound card sample rate and output audio ahead of time is essential to successful operation if you are using a soundcard adapter like I use on occasion. Looking forward to seeing a digital station setup and operating at Field Day. I only hope the health stays good to enjoy some operating. 73s Leo
I too have a 32ft Airstream I can bring. I need to move it from Waxahachie to our farm in Detroit and Field Day would be an awesome stop off. Only thing is that I have never pulled anything that big and am asking for a little help. I have the truck and hook ups but would like to see if someone would serve as a spotter on the drive to field day and then the drop off to the farm 20 miles away.
Let me know if anyone could help and I could start making plans. If not I will try to get it there on my own. Its going to the farm one way or another.
Thanks All
Lance N5GHO
Cliff, that would be great but my trailer is in Waxahachie now, I would need help to move it to Paris then to my farm in Detroit. Not sure you want to drive to Wax to follow, or maybe you do?
Thanks
Lance N5GHO
All,
Mark Johnson (W5PTX) asked me to make a post and provide a couple of pieces of information. If you will please click this link it will open up a PDF in another browser instance (tab). The PDF is Mark’s work product, a compilation of ARRL Field Day 2024 rules, notes about the plan for how we are going to operate and some personnel already assigned duties. As we update the document the date and time in the footer will update so you may be sure that you have the most recent version.
The second piece he wanted posted was this image of the timeline, or schedule, for the RRVARC Field Day 2024 activities:
It includes meal planning and we are going to try something a little different this year. Lunch on Saturday, a scheduled site-cooked supper on Saturday evening and a site-cooked breakfast (omelettes) on Sunday morning.We have been sensing a lot of excitement about Field Day this year. As always it will be hot, but we get the very real sense that we are going to have several operators this year. Right now we are up to at least five. Please plan to come. We always could use help for set up and break down so please keep that in mind.
73
Phillip Beall (W5EBC)
All,
Yesterday Club member Cliff Leath (KI5OPP), Field Day Coordinator Charles Penry (WA5VHU) and myself went to the Field Day location and they raised the pulleys on the light standards. Last year Charles used Kathy and my scissor lift to get them to its full deck height of 27′. They further raised them yesterday to ensure the wire antennas we pull for Field Day are as high as practical. We were blessed for Cliff to provide a truck that will go to 37′. His employer gave him permission to do this for us, but he cannot take it to your house to help you with a project – asked and answered. Here is an example of Club members doing Club stuff that, were it not for my making this post, people likely would not even know it was done. Thank you Cliff and Charles.
73,
Phillip Beall (W5EBC)
Most folks today are attracted by their phone/computer/TV screens. What if we could borrow a large screen video monitor made to use at outdoor events?
I could bring my Flex radio and we could display a few things – spectrum scope, US map of zones worked, a video shot of the operator, an invite to come over to see what’s going on, and whatever else. We could have a speaker to play the radio contacts audio at a moderate level. Point it out the north side towards the parking lot/pump track.
The issues I see with this is finding such a monitor we can use and hope for good enough weather that lots of folks show up.
What do you think? Do you know where we can borrow a large outdoor monitor? A large screen TV may not get bright enough.
Charles WA5VHU
Charles,
In a recent email exchange I expressed the desire to get a couple of big screen TVs and portable stands like this one:
The Club has an ongoing problem with storage. Banners are in one place, other things are elsewhere and it is hard to keep it all straight. Start adding things like big screen TVs and the likes and we really do have an issue.
The Fannin County Amateur Radio Club recently finished out a trailer build. It has a Starlink satellite dish, crank up tower, generator, etc., for an autonomous disaster response. I am currently working on static web page images to go visit local decision makers to see about obtaining financial support from them. With more than a shoestring budget we too could build such a trailer, but in my mind I think one with a side door might be more suitable. Something like these:
Smaller Trailer:
Larger Trailer:
If we were able to get a local trailer manufacturer to donate one of these we could outfit it in such a way that one or more TVs could be racked for transport inside the trailer and then once set up on site we could hang them outside on the side of the trailer. Amazon Firesticks would stream APRS.FI and weather radar. If it had an RV style AC unit on top and were modified with outlets all over outside and inside and had a permanently affixed generator, fuel can rack and crank up tower; talk about a presence. All it takes is money, imagination and some physical labor. 😉
Back to Charles’ point – Does anyone have one or more TVs they could bring to Field Day?
Back to regular programming. 😉
Phillip
Something like this?
If the club is going to have some things that need to be stored, including something like a trailer, I think we might want to consider renting a mini-warehouse space somewhere.
Charles WA5VHU
Back to large monitors, I envision it looking something like this:
Does anyone have a large TV or monitor they would like to bring out? Hopefully a modern one that doesn’t weigh too much? If it has a stand we can probably come up with a table to sit it on. If it is wall mounted we might be able to strap it to the pavillion column?
I can bring a small monitor to put on the back side on the table for those nearby inside the pavillion.
This is what my monitor display looks like for the FT8 station:
This is the countries I worked last night. I’m not much of a DX’er or certificate collector and this is more DX stations than I have ever worked in my 56 years as an Amateur Radio Operator:
I am looking forward to see how FT8 works on Field Day!!!
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