- This topic has 48 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 2 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Charles,
One mans opinion:
Mobile Command Post – The expense of owning and operating a rig like that I think – I think – goes well beyond the capability of this club for the foreseeable future. It has six tires that are about $300 a piece. They would not ever get worn out, but it is recommended that you replace tires every five years. If it is a diesel it has six batteries. You can’t keep it fueled because the fuel will go bad, but you want it full when you roll up to the scene of the disaster so that you can leave it running or run a diesel generator. There is engine and transmission maintenance with the big rig. The list is endless. Would we have to replace tires on a trailer? Yes, but they are not 16 ply tires like the ones on that big rig. Would we have to replace the batteries on a trailer? Sure, but we would have the option to use lithium iron batteries in it, only for the “house” on the big rig. Then secure storage too. And who drives it? Not everyone can or will. But we have lots of people with a truck and ball that would pull a trailer. Again, just my opinion. Acquisition cost and maintenance cost would be lower with the trailer, which with the trailer manufacturing base in Lamar County we might just get a brand new one donated, so that would be my vote.
TVs – I think the TVs would more likely be seen if back under the Pavilion in the shade. I don’t think they will be bright enough outside to be well seen from a distance. If we are fortunate enough for someone to show up with one am thinking we put it on a table and backed up to a vehicle where we can top strap it where it can’t fall over.
Phillip
Charles,
That is pretty funny. LOL I missed the graphics piece. Yeah, you know, I fairly regularly encourage Club members to review their wills and/or trusts and to add the Club as a beneficiary. If someone did that and we suddenly had $100k to play with I can hear the argument now. “I think we should buy 5 acres and put up our own owned repeater site!”. “No way, I want a tricked out mobile communications command post big rig!” LOL Whatever. We can all dream about it until and if someone actually leaves us something in their will. ;-)
Phillip
Phillip,
I agree about the trailer vs the command center. I bet $85,000 would buy a lot of trailer stuff!
Since we are about a week away, I’m going to start campaigning for 15 or 20 meters to start. I feel like I’m the only ham in the world that doesn’t like 10m, but please, please, please, don’t put me there. I never get good results.
We can put the FT8 station on the worst band and likely still make points. So far, I have worked 41 different countries in just little bits of time in the last few days as I passed by the computer.
Starting off during the day, in order of busiest and most likely to have good propagation is 20m, then 40m, then 15m and 10m. 6m might open up, you never know.
I have heard that who gets what band will be decided by a High-Level Tiddlywinks match, which will be televised live worldwide! The two finalists will then have a thumb wrestling match, which unfortunately, due to certain regional restrictions, will only be televised in Outer Mongolia.
73 & CU there!
Charles WA5VHU
Cindy and I went to the DFW Hamfest in Lewisville and it was a good Ham flea market, as it has been in the past. In addition to some odds and ends, I got a gently used Hustler 5-BTV 80 thru 10 meter HF vertical antenna for Father’s Day!
As it is easy to assemble and not much tuning to worry about and it breaks down to short pieces of aluminum pipe and enclosed coils I am going to use it for the FT8 station at Field Day. I put it up in my backyard and it works much much better than the mobile whip on a tripod.
Instead if a bunch of ground radials I am using some chicken wire! You can see the setup in the picture if you look carefully.
I am going to put the antenna on the rectangle of grass on the southwest corner of the pavillion as I think that spot is currently not spoken for, see picture.
CU there!
73,
Charles WA5VHU
Alrighty then! The RRVARC 2024 Field Day is a done deal, and a good event it was.
Justa few shots from Saturday afternoon here.
Figure 1. WB5JT Poundin’ Brass
Figure 2. Ronny and Mike working 40M
Figure 3. Mel and Jeff working 20M
Figure 4. A motley crew of kibitzers
Several others worked the event including Section Manager Steve (KG5VK), but I clean forgot to take pictures Sunday morning.
An extra special atta-boy here to Mark, (W5PTX) for wippin’ up some Fine-Business vittles Monday night and Sunday morning. Good food, good friends, lotsa stray RF, and good character abounding always makes for a kick-in-the-pants good time event!
73 es dit dit
All,
To me Field Day 2024 was the best one that I have been to. Hands down. Lots of people, hot but with a nice breeze. Kathy and I just could not be more pleased with the participation level. Notably, we had several people show up on Sunday and help take the event down. Club President Mark Johnson (W5PTX) highlighted them in the email we sent yesterday, but a special thank you to Randy Holland (N5DDS), Dan Beard (KB7JZI), Charles “Cookie” Ferguson (KJ5BLH), Johnny Thomas (WB5JT) and Don Heetderks (KJ5EQS). Don also donated ground beef from one of his own herd. That was a meat choice with our meal on Saturday evening. Really good stuff. Mark did a fantastic job of meal planning and preparation. What a talent! Is there anything this guy cannot do? Between the hard work of Mark and Charles Penry (WA5VHU), this year was a resounding success. Thank you both for all that you do in general, and specifically thank you for all that you did to make Field Day such a success. Few know just how much you two both put in for all of us. Thank you.
Mark also mentioned that Ronnie Rumsey (KA5LEK), Charles (WA5VHU) and Cindy (KD5CCB) Penry did the all-nighter. Impressive stuff. The bands were bad, really bad, so their extra effort scored us some points that we otherwise would not have secured. Kathy and I are neither one night owls, but we wound up visiting with Steven Lott (KG5VK) and Zogail (KB5KBE) Smith in our RV until midnight Saturday. They are both interesting and we are so very blessed to have the ARRL North TX Section Manager as a member of our Club.
How cool is this? I re-signed a former member, Thomas Sorensen (AF5WO) and signed up FOUR new members! We will be taking applications from Kevin Sao (KK7BZE), Barry Bryant (KJ5AXI) – “Barry in Hugo” from our Monday night nets, Audie Earley (KJ5GSN) and Martin Struss (KD7QZA) to next months meeting so that we can vote them in! More work for Phillip, I am going to get them all signed up for website access and on the next “Unofficial” Call Sign list, but I am delighted at this growth.
Speaking of growth, one newer Club member was candid in telling me why he comes to our meetings instead of one closer to home, an hour and twenty-five minutes away from us. He said that our group has interesting presentations, people that were warm and welcoming, people that were knowledgeable and willing to share that knowledge and that we do FUN STUFF. LOL Five people signed up for the Club over the weekend and his comments tell me we are doing things right. HOORAY! Dare I say it? Fun broke out! A few years ago I thought fun was illegal or something. Nope, our ham radio club can demonstrably have FUN! ;-)
Official Club photographer Geoffrey “Lance” Brooks (N5GHO) took lots of pictures. He sent them to the officers and for at least now I am hosting them on Kathy and my Dropbox account. The link is here. You can view and/or download any that you wish. Do you have any pictures? In particular we are looking for some of the various antenna setups. Did you happen to take any? If so please post them here or send them to me so that I can. Thank you!
Wasn’t Cindy’s outfit spectacular?!!!! LOL Great job Cindy!
That is it for now. Please watch for the new applicants to start joining us in the forums and talking on the repeaters.
73
Phillip Beall (W5EBC)
Agreed this was our best Field Day to date, since we’ve been with the club. Thanks to Mark for the good food, to the members that helped set up and came back to breakdown. Great conversations, enjoyed it!! Bravo RRVARC! ????????????????????????
Ok fellow piglets, I have the Field Day logs combined and am ready to submit however I need to know about the bonus points from you all.
The bonus points are:
100% Emergency power (Max. 20 transmitters) – Yes.
Media Publicity – Don’t know.
Set-up in Public Location – Yes
Information Booth – Yes
Message to ARRL SM/SEC – Don’t know.
Copy W1AW Field Day Message – Don’t know.
NTS/ICS-213 messages handled (# __________) – Don’t know.
Satellite QSO completed – Don’t know.
Natural power QSOs completed (Solar) – Don’t know.
Site Visit by invited elected official – Don’t know.
Site Visit by invited served agency official – Don’t know.
Educational Activity Bonus – Don’t know.
Youth Element achieved – Don’t know.
GOTA Bonus (total GOTA bonus points: ________) – Don’t know.
Submitted using the web app field-day.arrl.org – Yes, will be.
Safety Officer Bonus (Class A Only) – Yes.
Site Responsibilities Bonus (Class B,C,D,E,F Only) – Does not apply to our Class A.
Social Media Bonus – Facebook?
Please let me know if you have any answers for these.
Thanks & 73,
Charles WA5VHU
<p style=”text-align: left;”>I know we had the required solar contacts.</p>
Elected offical yes. The sheriff was there. I assume he will suffice as served agency as well.The assistant police chief was there also
The wife sent me an article from online paris news about it so i am guessing that works for media.
All i can think of
Thanks again for all the hard work.
Cliff
100% Emergency power (Max. 20 transmitters) – Yes.
Media Publicity – https://eparisextra.com/local-news/amateur-radio-field-day/ https://eparisextra.com/featured/local-ham-radio-club-emergency-communication-preparedness-demonstration-american-radio-relay-league-field-day/
Set-up in Public Location – Yes
Information Booth – Yes
Message to ARRL SM/SEC – no.
Copy W1AW Field Day Message – not that i know of.
NTS/ICS-213 messages handled (# __________) – none.
Satellite QSO completed – no/failed.
Natural power QSOs completed (Solar) – yes. Cliff and Jeff did those
Site Visit by invited elected official – Yes. Brooke Hill Tax Assessor & Sheriff Cass
Site Visit by invited served agency official – Paris PD Assistant Chief Tuttle.
Educational Activity Bonus – no.
Youth Element achieved – I don’t think so.
GOTA Bonus (total GOTA bonus points: ________) – no.
Submitted using the web app field-day.arrl.org – Yes, will be.
Safety Officer Bonus (Class A Only) – Yes.
Site Responsibilities Bonus (Class B,C,D,E,F Only) – Does not apply to our Class A.
Social Media Bonus – Facebook – Yes. There were posts.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.