Field Day 2020

[Prerunner1982]

Field day is just over 30 days away. Given the current state of affairs what do your field day plans look like?

For those new to Amateur Radio, Field Day is the largest ham radio event in North America. Clubs/Groups set up temporary stations and portable antennas and operate off back up power(battery/generator) to simulate a wide spread disaster. The event runs for 24 hours and each group tries to make as many contacts as possible......or just enjoy hanging out, or both.

This is typically a good time to get on HF if you are a tech or get on the air if you are not licensed unfortunately many clubs may not have a GOTA (Get On The Air) station this year.
Field day starts at 1800 UTC (2pm Eastern / 11am Pacific) time on Saturday June 27 but set up begins typically around 8am. Set up is a good time to take a look at different antennas and how they can be erected and most clubs are always looking for people to help set up…and take down.
There are groups participating around the country. You can find them at www.arrl.org/field-day-locator The number of clubs participating this year will be down considerably.
Or you can post your area below and I will be happy to find one for you.

As of May 21st the area I was going to primitive camp will be opened back up so I will be operating as a 1B (maybe 2B)...the alternative was as a 1E set up somewhere on my property but I am much more excited about going camping.

 

[Prerunner1982]

Looks like the rules have been temporarily adjusted for this years FD.

Temporary Rule Waivers for ARRL Field Day 2020

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

www.arrl.org

 

[M Rose]

Looks like the rules have been temporarily adjusted for this years FD.

Temporary Rule Waivers for ARRL Field Day 2020

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

www.arrl.org

I’m participating as a watcher... I’m going to help set up camp, throw a few antennas, then see how this whole field day thing works... I might even get on the air towards the end of the event using my own rig...

 

[Prerunner1982]

I’m participating as a watcher... I’m going to help set up camp, throw a few antennas, then see how this whole field day thing works... I might even get on the air towards the end of the event using my own rig...

Good way to start. Being a logger with a 2nd set of headphones is a good way to get involved and listen to how things operate. When I did it with a club I brought my own headphones, a y splitter, and a ls5rge phono jack to 3.5mm converter just to be safe. Most stations either had 2 headphones or a breakout box for multiple sets.
I will be on my own again this year.
Let me know if you have any preliminary field day questions.

 

[M Rose]

Good way to start. Being a logger with a 2nd set of headphones is a good way to get involved and listen to how things operate. When I did it with a club I brought my own headphones, a y splitter, and a ls5rge phono jack to 3.5mm converter just to be safe. Most stations either had 2 headphones or a breakout box for multiple sets.
I will be on my own again this year.
Let me know if you have any preliminary field day questions.

Actually I don’t really have any questions Jon, I have a really good club that loves field day... it seams like they have been prepping me for field day since I walked into the clubhouse back in January. Knowing that I enjoy camping, and planning larger campouts, they have asked my help selecting a spot to set up. We have several spots in mind, and COVID will dictate which ones we will actually use.

Great advice on getting another set of headphones. I will also ask if they have breakout boxes or if I need a splitter cable.

Jon, are you going to be running digital as well as voice? Do you CW? If you do run digital, what do you use for a pc on field day?

 

[Prerunner1982]

Jon, are you going to be running digital as well as voice? Do you CW? If you do run digital, what do you use for a pc on field day?

I do have PSK and RTTY capability that I may do. Don't do CW. I had learned to send pretty well but receive/decoding was rough.
For digital I use a 10" Android tablet, also use it for logging.

 

[M Rose]

I like the tablet idea... what apps are you running?
Ohh and what TNC

 

[Prerunner1982]

It's all from Wolphi.

Wolphi - Mobile Software Development is under construction

Connecting Android to Amateur Radio

www.wolphi.com

 

[M Rose]

That’s a cool device.
I’m running a Mobilinkd TNC3 to my iPad for APRS, and to my Laptop for packet. For RTTY, FT8 and PSK I’m using the TNC built into my Icom IC7100. Right now I am working on finishing up my antenna system. When done I should ( in theory be able to cover all of the Ham bands from 160m up to 70cm on one portable mast... we will see if this holds true tomorrow if I can get the antenna done by then. I keep hitting small snags, like buying the wrong screws and not having the correct drill bit for the screw.

My club is very excited for Field Day. This is our largest event of the year and lots of planning goes into it each year. Be listening for W7GRA call signs.

 

[64Trvlr]

My small club is going to be on the air about 5 hours this year. We'll have my Yaesu 857D, a Yeasu FT2900 and couple of handhelds along with my Honda generator and a battery box.

Hopefully we'll have fun and make a few more contacts than last year.

 

[Prerunner1982]

Think I got my linked dipole tuned up and ready to go.
I also have a "fan" dipole but only have 20m and 40m elements as opposed to being able to operate 10m, 15m, 20m, and 40m with the linked dipole.
I do like the fan dipoles ability to just switch bands on the radio and it works where you have to lower the linked dipole to change bands.
I may run both, my radio has two antenna outputs.

 

[M Rose]

I just Ordered 80m-6m ham sticks should be here Monday I hope. I leave Tuesday night after the club meeting.

@Prerunner1982 I’m sending a DM.

 

[Prerunner1982]

I just Ordered 80m-6m ham sticks should be here Monday I hope. I leave Tuesday night after the club meeting.

@Prerunner1982 I’m sending a DM.

That's a lot of hamsticks.
I have used hamsticks before and they worked alright.

 

[M Rose]

That's a lot of hamsticks.
I have used hamsticks before and they worked alright.

It’s just something to hurt up and get me on air

 

[gnomonic]

Hi,

I will be 1B AB / 1A Alberta

Will be set up near the Cardinal River Divide or at one of the nearby Rec. Site Campgrounds along the Forest Trunk Road in Alberta depending on WX. The divide is high alpine, and the camp spot is below it but still not a place to be if T-storms develop. Will run digital : JS8Call, PSK, maybe RTTY, FT8 and then phone.

Pete
VA6MNT

 

[M Rose]

Yes there was a call last night... this month the numbers have been down, I didn’t make the call since the week before Memorial Day. I have been super busy with other things gearing up for Field Day.

Speaking of Field Day We are going to be camping at Bird Track Springs Friday through Sunday for the event. I encourage you to come up, even for the day on Saturday.

Bird Track Springs Campground

Campground · Union County, Oregon

maps.apple.com

About Field Day 2020

Field Day

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

www.arrl.org

Grand Ronde Radio Amateurs

Field Day 2020 – Union-Wallowa County ARES

unionares.org

 

[MattLew]

I was looking forward to field day this year to kick off me becoming active again after several years of being inactive, but given that covid numbers are spiking presently, I am going to sit this year out and may set up my 706 and operate from home, especially if I get my general upgrade in time.

I keep having thoughts of a kid I used to know. 13 years old, extra class, and one brilliant geek... that year he wrote a script that managed psk31 contacts for him and sat there letting his computer work dozens of contacts per hour while he worked voice on a second radio... a LOT of the older hams in the group went ape on him for cheating, and breaking the spirit of ham radio... they just about started a civil war in the group as us younger hams backed the kid because one of our mandates as amateur radio operators is to advance the technical aspects of radio operation, and this kid developed and successfully tested a system that could automate signal detection and automated input driven response.

 

[M Rose]

I was looking forward to field day this year to kick off me becoming active again after several years of being inactive, but given that covid numbers are spiking presently, I am going to sit this year out and may set up my 706 and operate from home, especially if I get my general upgrade in time.

I keep having thoughts of a kid I used to know. 13 years old, extra class, and one brilliant geek... that year he wrote a script that managed psk31 contacts for him and sat there letting his computer work dozens of contacts per hour while he worked voice on a second radio... a LOT of the older hams in the group went ape on him for cheating, and breaking the spirit of ham radio... they just about started a civil war in the group as us younger hams backed the kid because one of our mandates as amateur radio operators is to advance the technical aspects of radio operation, and this kid developed and successfully tested a system that could automate signal detection and automated input driven response.

Set up as a Delta station...

 

[M Rose]

Wow 4 days of playing with a home made “Erector Set” and I’m finally ready for field day. I’m packing the “Adventure Machine” in the morning and hope to hit the road by noon. I should be to camp no later than 1 on Pacific Time. As per Rules I can’t set up my antennas until 5 pm tomorrow... which sucks because I just got my “Field Day” 80-6m End Fed Dipole today and have yet to tune it...

I’m going to post my go box in my Yasue 2900 thread.

Let’s fill this thread up with pictures from camp, and most amazing contact logs.

 

[Prerunner1982]

My plan is to head out mid day tomorrow if the primitive camp sites are open for this weekend but won't set up antennas until Sat morning when it's cooler.