AARO Field Day 2004
We've got two articles here for you from
Danny McCarty (WA5KRP) and Pat Knight (AD5BR)
(Thanks, You Two!)
As this year's Field Day chairman, I don't have words to tell you how proud I am of the AARO membership and the efforts made to pull off a tremendous Field Day event. To sum it all up, IT WAS A BLAST! Officially, Pat (AD5BR) reports 35 members and 39 guests signed our log.
When I arrived on site 10:45 Saturday morning, antennas were going up and stations readied for the 1:00 PM start time. Folks were working steadily and helping each other like a well oiled machine. We are blessed with a resourceful membership and it showed - every time a need arose, somebody had the whachamacallit to make it happen. I forgot a two-foot piece of coax to go from my transceiver to the antenna tuner on the GOTA station. Mike (KD5OZM) had one. My FT-840 came up short - Benny (NU5P) stepped in with his Icom 706MkII.
Doug (KA5KLU) and Don (AC5XK) had their CW station purring from the gitgo. I haven't seen the totals, but I distinctly remember Don commenting that at one point they had logged 82 contacts in one hour. That's a WOW! It's also a perfect demonstration of CW's efficiency. With the bands jammed like they were, HF phone ops often had to repeat calls and designators over and over to complete one contact while Doug and Don made six or more in the same stretch.
Bob Rod (K5AUW) continued his tradition as the GOTO Guy. After setting up the HF SSB station and satellite station (that never gets love), Bob helped put up at least two HF antennas and got his generator hummin'. Only God knows how many tech problems he solved this year - Bob can't remember squat. HIHI! Bob logged a minimum of 26 hours continuous service. Without him, Field Day would be like a ship without a rudder. Thanks for the steady hand, Bob Rod!
Gordon (K5SUZ) was Mr. Contraption. His portable tower attracted more sweaty people than the big shop fan, and was a delight to people like me who love gizmos. And the dang thing actually worked, putting two 6M antennas higher than the 20 foot light poles. Dale (KB5YSJ) was the primary 6M operator, working SSB, FM, and even straight key CW. I wish the band had been a little kinder. We missed Linda's (KC5QPQ) helping hand - a respiratory problem sent her to the hospital. Get well soon!
I don't have any logs on hand, but I can personally vouch the GOTA station stayed BUSY. We had numerous operators step up and try their hand on the big bands. Benny (NU5P) got us rolling and Robert (KE5BPR) worked a good steady Saturday afternoon shift. Thanks to Chris (KC5PYG) for keeping me company during the wee hours of Sunday morning and making a big contribution in the logbook.
Thanks to Keith (KB5RIL) for setting up packet. Keith earned MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE POINTS - WOOOO! Keith also hooked up with Benny (NU5P) to demonstrate APRS. WTG, guys!
Bill (WD5EDR) gave PSK-31 a hearty try but was thwarted by antenna problems - DANG! Nevertheless, he won the hearts and minds of all with his deadeye sling-shot mastery. Without his help, all our antennas would have been stuck at ground level. NICE JOB!
Lucy (N5RLQ) took charge of food - clearly nobody went hungry! I hope everyone got at least one of her scrumptious brownies (WOW!). She even bushwacked Doug (KA5KLU) and made him a grill cook. The chicken was AWESOME! Denny (KD5YRR) led the blessing - very fitting and thanks! David (KD5NNH) wowed the crowds with his spectacular chili con queso dip - pray he'll repeat again next year. Thanks to George (KE6NTY) for bringing Nellie's delicious pasta salad. Pat (KD5UXR) once again kept the cookie monsters at bay - YEAH! Terry (WD5ADF) brought cupcakes from Heaven. They gave me yet another chance to show I'm half pig. From out of the blue, Gordon (K5SUZ) and Andrew (KD5NNN) generously served breakfast to a hungry Sunday morning crew. Thanks to ALL!
Spot Checks: BIG thanks to Mikey (KD5OZM) for putting out all the pesky fires that Murphy's Law enables. He also was a great goodwill ambassador for all our visitors. Pat (AD5BR) immersed herself in the ARRL FD rule book and brought order from chaos. WHEW! She also is single-handedly compiling all of our logs and submitting AARO's info to the League. No small task! A giant THANK YOU to Art (N4HAG) for his generous contribution of two canopies to AARO. We NEED those! Our yeoman roustabout crew - fearless in tackling whatever job was thrown at them - includes George (KE6NTY), Greg (KD5BVG), David (KD5NNH), Terry (WD5ADF), Lars (AD5PP), Shane (AD5PO), Chris (KE5BAN), Bill (AC5AS), Norman (AD5EF), Mike (K5MAF), Chuck (WB5FWI), and Danny (WA5KRP).
Behind the Scenes: Charley (WA3PAY) and Teri (KC5BJI) took a richly deserved break and operated their own FD event in the comfort of air conditioning. Nonetheless, they still helped us all out. Charley procured our site, provided a ton of ice from campus ice machines, and got us the keys to the barbecue pits. Teri brought her giant coffee pot and the club banners. I was nervous to see them finally head home. Their absence was conspicuous. A bout of illness kept Stan (KD5ZSY) away, but he had already done a major job for AARO by sending out press releases and invitations to numerous area politicos. Thanks, buddy! Lee (N5NTG) has generously reported AARO's activities at the http://www.sanantoniohams.org/ website, and asks you to submit photos to show our FD activities - pay attention, David (KD5NNH). SALUTE!
Sightings: Paul (ND2X) and Walt (K5YFW) couldn't stay but they took the time to press the flesh and let fly a little breeze. Thanks guys - it wouldn't the same without you! Rosi (KD5YVI) brought plenty of good cheer and made Denny (KD5YRR) look respectable. Bill (WE5ET) didn't think he could make it - he did. Fine business!
I want to thank my co-chairmen: Lucy (N5RLQ) and Pat (AD5BR) for all their good works. Both were tremendously responsive and took care of dozens of pesky details. Without them, FD would have been a flop. The exact opposite happened. HUGS AND THANKS! I also want to thank Mikey (KD5OZM) for covering my back and bringing important details to my attention. I appreciate his help and support. WTG, pally!
If I have failed to mention your individual contribution, please forgive me. I know there were many more folks who came along and made this year's Field Day a huge success. Just showing up is a BIG DEAL. If nobody showed up..........you get the idea.
THANKS TO ALL! 73
Photos ...
| CW Station | SSB Station | Explain THIS, Danny |
Field Day Comments
The gazebo at the UTHSCSA recreation field once again was the site for AARO's Field Day. We had a wonderful turnout with 35 members and 39 guests (although a few people may have escaped signing in). The weather cooperated until 6:30 AM when drizzle and showers came. We made approximately 200 CW contacts and 300 contacts using other modes. We had a GOTA station using NU5P's call, a demo station for packet and APRS (thanks, Keith KB5RIL), a CW station primarily manned by Don AC5XK and Doug KA5KLU, a PSK31 station operated by Bill WD5EDR, a SSB station headed up by Bob K5AUW, and a 6-meter station lead by Dale KB5YSJ.
Many more members and guests made QSOs on the various stations. A special Midnight Hero Award goes to James KD5OXM from Corsicana. He came to Field Day early, left, then came back around midnight to power the mike on the SSB station for several hours while most of the rest of us slept. James is 17 and will be a senior in high school this fall.
We owe many thanks to everyone who contributed equipment, supplies, food, expertise and personal effort to set up, operate, and take down everything. Thanks also go to Danny WA5KRP, Lucy N5RLQ, and Pat AD5BR, who worked well together as this year's committee. Thanks to Doug KA5KLU for his work with the logs and dup (duplicates) sheets, as well as his cooking expertise at the grill.
Special thanks to Art N4HAG for donating two canopies to the club.
It's not too soon to start thinking about next year's Field Day. If you have some ideas and suggestions, please jot them down and bring them to the next meeting so we can compile them and offer them to next year's Field Day committee.
(Thank you, Pat AD5BR, for writing an article so quickly and David KD5NNH, for the great “posterity” photos! ☺ Nice job, Everybody!!)
Last Updated: 25 February 2005
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and Gal: Teri Thomas, KC5BJI
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