Field Day 2018

06/23/2018

I am not one to participate in contest finding them too competitive and overwhelming for me to enjoy. Field Day, even though technically not a contest, can feel just as overwhelming discouraging me for many years. However, last year, I decided to dip my toes in the water and try it out at home running my rig off of deep cycle batteries. And after my initial success racking up a whopping twelve points, I decided to try again this time on QRP CW.

My initial plan was to work out of Mountain View park just a mile down the road from my house. However, when my wife found out that our club was going to be taking up a brisket to Lost Eden, AZ, she talked me into going up there, instead. I work SOTA and decided I’d operate in a modified version adding a solar panel I purchased for Father’s Day. I had also ordered a keyer, but, it arrived Friday afternoon and didn’t want to put it together the day before I left. It’s be hand power for the key this time.

 

Looking up the route on Google Maps and ADOT, I was told that the road between Strawberry and Pine was closed. I was originally planning on leaving at 7:30 am but, because I was now going to take the long way, left an hour earlier instead. I had packed the car the night before with all my non-electronics so I filled my Camelbak up with ice and water and headed down the road.

Traffic was light and I made it to the camp a little before 10 am taking my little wind up car over roads better suited for a jeep. Finding a spot in the shade of some tall trees, I set up my antenna in a few minutes as the wind blew through the branches above me. I decided to bring my 33’ pushup mast instead of the 16’ crappy pole and the wind was giving me a bit of a pause. I packed three tent stakes and secured the mast with some ropes out of my SOTA bag. Hoisting the EFHW antenna up for 15 meters, I found that the mast was actually too tall for the antenna preventing me from raising it to its full height.

 

My original plan was to run my Yaesu FT-817ND from the battery pack and hook the pack to the solar panels. My hope was to have the solar panels keep the battery pack topped off and I would be able to run the radio all day like this. As a backup, I brought my lead acid battery in case I had any issues and after a little over an hour discovered a problem; the solar panel wasn’t keeping up. And in my hast to get ready for the day, I had forgotten to recharge the internal batteries in the radio. It was now a little after noon and at this rate I’d be finished by 1:30 unless I found a solution to the power situation.

 

I had read in the review for the solar panel that I needed to point them directly at the sun or they would work right. Shade had partially obscured the panels and propped them up against my sweatshirt to keep it off the ground. As the sun was now directly overhead, I moved them away from my setup and in direct sunlight. The charging light came on and pack started showing a positive voltage for the first time. Now, I’d have to wait for the sun to do its thing.

Switching over to my backup battery, I decided to try again at getting a station on 15 meters again. I had been trying to call CQ all morning with no luck. Turning the dial, I found a station booming in and threw my call just to see if I was getting out. They came back with 3E WA which was typical from my radio on the SOTA activations I had done. I typically get the NW and mid-west and today would be no different.

 

I wasn’t hearing anyone else on 15 meters so decided to try out 20 meters which would require an antenna change. Tuning up my radio, I found 20 meters a mess with stations on top of other stations unable to pull anyone out. Powering up my CW filter, I stayed between 14.05 and 14.06 where most of the “slower” stations sat. A station came through faster than I could copy and I had to wait several tried before I could make out their call. Through my call and I was lost in the pile-up.

 

Over and over I sent my call out trying to pull out if he could hear me in all the noise that was filling the band. I was concentrating so hard that I didn’t at first notice that our club treasurer was taking my picture. He told me I had the perfect expression of rapt attention when in reality it was frustration of not being heard. Finally, that station came back with my call, at least I hoped, and I sent back “1B 1B AZ AZ” lying that I had copied his message. I then waited for other station to call and then copied that they were another Washington station.

 

Two in the log.

 

Looking back to the solar panel, I found that the battery pack was now completely charged up to 100%. Changing to a “Search and Pounce” strategy has allowed the one remaining battery to work until the other has recharged. I’ve decided to keep this on reserve until the lead acid battery has quit and then I’ll switch them back. I stretch my legs and check out the other stations working around me and find the club station running CW. I’ve been having troubles every once and a while with the band blanking out and now I know why. They’re running 100 watts and over powering my little rig making it impossible to hear but the most powerful stations.

I head back to my rig and see if I can find them on my radio and, sure enough, as soon as they transmit the band is wiped again. I know I can adjust my radio so as to be not so sensitive but it’s now getting close to 3 pm and time for dinner. One more time and I can pick out an Oklahoma station. I’m smarter this time and get their message before I call. I send my call and right away they answer back. They’re my third and last call for the day. I’m getting tired mentally and stiff from being hunched over my station. Time for dinner.

 

Pull up my phone to send my wife a text and discover that the battery is almost dead and I’ve forgotten to bring the charger with me. I think about sending a SMS message through APRS but can’t remember the method to doing it. But, the good news is there is brisket waiting for us and my water bottle still has ice in it even after sitting in the hot sun all day. I know that on the way home I’ll need to get some gas and I’ll send a message to my wife then. For now, enjoy good company, good food, and a group photo to end a great day.

Lessons learned:

 

Make a check list. I have a SOTA bag and I know from experience what I put in it when I go on a hike. However, it’s when I go hiking outside of SOTA that I have some problems. I ended up leaving some tent stakes when I drove away and a checklist packing up when I left could have help with this. Taking a cell phone cable with me would have helped with the cell phone issue. I’ll be making a check list before Winter Field Day or any summer trips I take.

 

Cheat Sheets. I need to have a cheat sheet for sending a SMS message and spotting a SOTA activation. Keeping this on a sheet of paper in my kneeboard would help when I forget how to program something different on my radio. I’ve been meaning to do this but never took the time. Now is the time.

 

Write down important phone numbers. Even if I had remembered how to send a SMS message, all of my contact information is on my phone. When that’s dead, I no longer have access to that information. And if something should happen to me, the rescuer would need this information as well. This is another think to keep in my kneeboard.

Field is a great activity to not only test out your gear in adverse condition but also to test yourself. It’s also a good idea to review how the event went off and find ways to improve to make it easier next time. I’m still not entirely sold on contest and really don’t have a desire to become a hardcore contester. But, I have found that when I compete against myself and try to improve what I do, it becomes a great tool to learn.

 

Keep safe. Have fun.

 

73