Field Day at Home Thread.

[N8CPA]

Okay, you D's and E's, the A's, B's and F's have their announcements. They'll be out in the field having the real Field Day fun, slapping mosquitoes and blackflies with one hand, keying with the other, logging with pencils between their toes. They'll use antennas made from wire secured by sacrificing a starting motor from their own cars. They'll cook meals on fires started from flint and steel, or rubbing sticks together--because the idea is to operate from conditions as primitive as you can stand.

This thread is for those of us who, for one reason or another, will be operating from home to give the more intrepid stations fixed stations to work. So, who's operating from home?

1E OH

[K8PEZ]

I usually operate on Saturday evening from home, after spending a few hours at the clubs Field Day Event. Also, on Sunday, if I don't stay up too late on Saturday.

-Steven

[N2EY]

Me!

Between work and family commitments, field operation is not practical this year. Plus I've never done FD from home, so it's about time. (Done practically every other variation, from 1B-1B to 8A and larger).

Operation will be 80/40/20 CW, as time permits.

73 de Jim, N2EY

[KG0UFO]

I'm waiting for the one where the guy admits, he can't leave home for field day because his legal limit (probably more) amp runs on 220v and he feels inadequate with running any less, and besides, his 6 element monobander at 125 ft wont fit on top of the car!

Pity the HAM who just can't run QRP... and feel good about it....

KG0UFO
Running 5w on Field Day using a battery being trickle charged with a solar cell, and a portable hamstick dipole

[K9ASE]

1D Baaby! I'll be enjoying cold A/C and a fridge that's only feet away. I just downloaded N1MM for logging and am ready to go.

[N2RJ]

1E NNJ part time using batteries.

I planned on using the generator but don't wish to burn fuel and pollute the air.

[WD1J]

I'm waiting for the one where the guy admits, he can't leave home for field day because his legal limit (probably more) amp runs on 220v and he feels inadequate with running any less, and besides, his 6 element monobander at 125 ft wont fit on top of the car!

Pity the HAM who just can't run QRP... and feel good about it....

KG0UFO
Running 5w on Field Day using a battery being trickle charged with a solar cell, and a portable hamstick dipole

Good post and I feel just fine running QRP. Now I just have to get on the air (its been a long time).

[KD3NE]

I'll do what I can with what I got.

Just got back into radio with a Fathers Day gift from the wife. ( new HF rig )

Have two antenna in boxes yet to be assembled, and need to get them up in the air. ( planned for next weekend )

Sooooooo ..... I'm gonna toss up an Alpha Delta DXCC dipole between two trees and depend on the rigs tuner and operate that way.

I'm not a serious contester and never was, but I'll be out there giving contacts to those who are! :D

I'll probably be running QRP off battery, just for the challenge of it.

We have a battery array that is charge maintained by solar panels for home lighting. I'll tap into that.

[KJ3N]

So, who's operating from home?

1D DE

I will make my customary 10-20 contacts, then turn the radio off, or maybe pursue DX on the WARC bands. Don't know about 12m (solar numbers aren't looking good), but 17m should be open to somewhere.

[W3WN]

1D WPa, a little on Saturday afternoon prior to my joining N3SH 4A WPA, a little on Sunday morning after I get home from the late shift.

[AA8IA]

ID OH here. I definitely won't be out and about.

I'd love to run 1Bb. I currently have work being done on the house, and so I have no wires or supporting mast up for any antennas. Theoretically, I could set up on the back porch, run QRP, get my power from a battery that is already charged via a craptastic solar panel, do paper logging, and shove a mast up against the house and string a wire at the last minute in an effort to claim 1B-B. Although that sounds like "portable" to me, I don't know if it would fly in the end. And I'd hate to go through all the hassle only to find out after the fact that the ARRL doesn't consider that portable operation.

So i'll likely be 1D. The bummer about 1D is that you can't count any other D station that you worked for credit. Of course, I'll be well cooled by the central AC and will enjoy HD TV viewing, so it aint all bad.

Mike

[KA7RRA]

My plans is is to be 1E,if I can get my marine battery charged up in time??? It has not been charged up since I think 2006 the last time I checked I still had a full charge on it

[N3AWS]

My plans is is to be 1E,if I can get my marine battery charged up in time??? It has not been charged up since I think 2006 the last time I checked I still had a full charge on it

That's some battery!

73, Jim N3AWS

[N8CPA]

ID OH here. I definitely won't be out and about.

I'd love to run 1Bb. I currently have work being done on the house, and so I have no wires or supporting mast up for any antennas. Theoretically, I could set up on the back porch, run QRP, get my power from a battery that is already charged via a craptastic solar panel, do paper logging, and shove a mast up against the house and string a wire at the last minute in an effort to claim 1B-B. Although that sounds like "portable" to me, I don't know if it would fly in the end. And I'd hate to go through all the hassle only to find out after the fact that the ARRL doesn't consider that portable operation.

So i'll likely be 1D. The bummer about 1D is that you can't count any other D station that you worked for credit. Of course, I'll be well cooled by the central AC and will enjoy HD TV viewing, so it aint all bad.

Mike

1D made it almost impossible for me to run. 9 out of 10 answers to CQ FD would be other D's--and that's what's liberating about Class E.

[KO6WB]

My plans is is to be 1E,if I can get my marine battery charged up in time??? It has not been charged up since I think 2006 the last time I checked I still had a full charge on it


That's some battery!

73, Jim N3AWS
Maybe, he didn't say when the last time he checked it was, could have been 2007.
Now I actually cannot feel sorry for those that go out and run Field Day from their County's Emergency Coomunications Center with A/C, toilets and no bugs, likewise I have a very tough time feeling sorry for the guys that are in their, or somebody else's RV with A/C no bugs, a microwave oven, toilets, beds to sleep it off, refrigerators and just about all comforts of home.
For those that put up a tent and drag a pole up with the 3 element beam and a couple of inverted vees, hey, you are closer to the right idea. Nobody says you have to be miserable but suffering is the sign of a true public service operator.
If you suffered through this posting then my hats off to you.
Hope everybody has fun and does well. I'll be giving out a few contacts as well.
BTW don't forget it's not a contest (yes it is).
73
Gary

[AA8IA]

1D made it almost impossible for me to run. 9 out of 10 answers to CQ FD would be other D's--and that's what's liberating about Class E.

I wouldn't mind going 1E. But I'd be stuck doing QRP if I wanted to go for any length of time [assuming battery qualifies as "emergency power"]. I could fire up a 10KW generator, but I don't want to force a generator to sit there and run for hours and hours just so I can go 1E. If i had a much smaller generator I definitely would do it. You got me thinking though. Maybe I'll try and swing 1E. I still have to get the ambition to put the antenna up tomorrow. First things first.

Have fun!

Mike

[N4OKN]

I will NOT be on the air tomorrow from home for contesters to contact. The antenna that I ordered on 6/15 for my first station wasn't shipped until 6/21. The parcel won't arrive at my QTH until Monday. Words don't describe the disappointment of having FD come and go without participating nor the annoyance I feel for the seller for waiting almost a week to ship out a flipping dipole. I'd planned to operate from alt power on phone and digimodes out in the yard using an optimized G5RV, up about 40' in inv vee configuration, in conjunction with a IC-7200 that I've yet to remove from its box. It could've been memorable.

[KJ3N]

I will NOT be on the air tomorrow from home for contesters to contact. The antenna that I ordered on 6/15 for my first station wasn't shipped until 6/21. The parcel won't arrive at my QTH until Monday. Words don't describe the disappointment of having FD come and go without participating nor the annoyance I feel for the seller for waiting almost a week to ship out a flipping dipole.

I have a few words to describe my amazement that you would not have already built 1 or 2 dipoles yourself, instead of relying on a pre-made antenna. The rules here, however, forbid me from using those words. I'll just ask the following:

You ordered a wire antenna? Seriously?


I'd planned to operate from alt power on phone and digimodes out in the yard using an optimized G5RV, up about 40' in inv vee configuration, in conjunction with a IC-7200 that I've yet to remove from its box. It could've been memorable.

It still can be. Field Day is supposed to be about getting on the air under less than ideal conditions. That includes making your own wire antenna(s) when you have to. It should take about 2 hours to make a 20/40 dipole from scratch. Given the way the solar numbers are going, those are the only 2 bands you'll probably need anyway.

I'm just stunned.....

[N4OKN]

Fair enough.

I am a newly minted General of less than two weeks that has a young family and other hobbies to fund. I don't have a lot of money to spend on myself and I haven't been an active ham for very long at all. Needless to say, the initial investment to assemble a station has been sizeable. That said, I began planning a few months ago, adding components to the pile as DI allowed, all with the overall goal of having a station ready to go by 6/23. Be that as it may, other than a matching unit, any testing gear, like the analyzer that I will acquire then the fun fund is replenished, was forgone so that the bare necessities required to get on the air could be acquired and set up by tomorrow. The antenna was one of the last pieces of that puzzle. In addition, as I am fairly new, I don't have a well stocked electronics bench to raid when the urge hits to home brew a radiator. Everything I'd need for a wire antenna of any design I'd have to purchase beforehand, violating the time and money contraints mentioned earlier. I simply don't have the gear nor the materials to make a proper DIY wire antenna, not even for a simple flat top dipole. THAT is why I elected to buy a wire antenna instead of build. Make sense now?

Maybe you can find it in you to cut some slack for the new guys to the hobby, huh? Not all of us have been immersed in amateur radio for as long as you Sir. Sheesh.

[KJ3N]

I am a newly minted General of less than two weeks that has a young family and other hobbies to fund. I don't have a lot of money to spend on myself and I haven't been an active ham for very long at all. Needless to say, the initial investment to assemble a station has been sizeable. That said, I began planning a few months ago, adding components to the pile as DI allowed, all with the overall goal of having a station ready to go by 6/23. Be that as it may, other than a matching unit, any testing gear, like the analyzer that I will acquire then the fun fund is replenished, was forgone so that the bare necessities required to get on the air could be acquired and set up by tomorrow. The antenna was one of the last pieces of that puzzle. In addition, as I am fairly new, I don't have a well stocked electronics bench to raid when the urge hits to home brew a radiator. Everything I'd need for a wire antenna of any design I'd have to purchase beforehand, violating the time and money contraints mentioned earlier. I simply don't have the gear nor the materials to make a proper DIY wire antenna, not even for a simple flat top dipole. THAT is why I elected to buy a wire antenna instead of build. Make sense now?

Not really, and here's why:

50 foot roll of 2-conductor, 16ga speaker wire: $17
Two 4 foot lengths of 3/8 wooden dowel: $2
30-pack of nylon wire ties: $4

With these items, one can build a 2 band dipole for 20m and 40m. You might even have some spare speaker wire laying around. Wire is wire. It only has to be temporary, anyway. Soldering may not even have to be involved. If you only make a dipole for 20m, it's even less of a hassle. Then you can forget about the wire ties and the dowels.


Maybe you can find it in you to cut some slack for the new guys to the hobby, huh? Not all of us have been immersed in amateur radio for as long as you Sir.

I've been in this for a little over 20 years. That's nothing compared to a lot of other people here.


Sheesh.

Right back at ya, junior. :D

[N8CPA]

Not really, and here's why:

50 foot roll of 2-conductor, 16ga speaker wire: $17
Two 4 foot lengths of 3/8 wooden dowel: $2
30-pack of nylon wire ties: $4

With these items, one can build a 2 band dipole for 20m and 40m. You might even have some spare speaker wire laying around. Wire is wire. It only has to be temporary, anyway. Soldering may not even have to be involved. If you only make a dipole for 20m, it's even less of a hassle. Then you can forget about the wire ties and the dowels.



I've been in this for a little over 20 years. That's nothing compared to a lot of other people here.



Right back at ya, junior. :D

In the past I have called Field Day Amateur Radio's version of Christmas/Hannukah (forgive a goy a misspelling). I have also called it a hotfoot classroom in problem solving. And the vision of you missing your first Field Day for lack of an antenna has embittered the pre-FD sugar plumbs that have me sleepless tonight.

You need not even go as expensive as James explained. All you need are two pieces of speaker wire of suffcient length and a male RCA (Phono) connector. Attach one end of the speakeer wire to the phono connector and insert that into the SO239 on your rig. It is the perfect size for the center hole of the SO239 jack. The other end of the wire will go into a tree.

The second speaker wire will attach to the ground lug of the rig. Stretch the rest of it out on the grass and it will serve as the counterpoise and you will have created an instant emergency vertical. It's not ideal, but it will get you some contacts.

[AD1L]

The plan is to be up on Mt. Wachusett at 8:00 am to lend a hand setting up the club station W1GZ (probably 3 or 4A). Then back home to take care of some business.

From home I will operate 1E using our GE 12kW backup generator.

The generator is pictured below with the S.E. rated auto-sensing transfer switch mounted on the wall beyond it. The 627cc Vanguard V-Twin that powers it can suck down a fair amount of LP in a day, but hey, field day only comes once a year!

Now of course when I installed it I sold my wife on the idea of a hedge against the frequent power outages here in the boonies, but don’t think for a minute she didn’t know it would somehow relate back to my ham radio affairs.

Peace
James - AD1L


http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k269/punk_itup/generator.jpg

[KD0JLE]

Let me start by saying without reservation, I love field day. I have been licensed under 3 years. My first field day as a licensed amateur was spent with the club I belonged to in Iola, KS. We operated under the club callsign, WI0LA. The club members were my first ham friends and a fantastic bunch of guys. That experience made a lasting impression on me. It exemplified the ham spirit and presented ham radio to the general public in the most favorable way. Not to mention that it was a blast and I had a great time. Me and my ham mentor pulled an all-nighter keeping the station on the air.

Be that as it may, I will be working from the house as a 1E. I have to work on Field Day from about 3pm to 11pm, so I will miss the most active time, but I will get back on the air at 12am and go as long as I can. Hope the neighbors don't mind if I have to fire up the generator for a little while to charge the battery. I think it will last until daylight Sunday morning.

So I will be at home operating as much as I am able. Hoping to make contact with as many of you as I can. Dang, wish I was with WI0LA tomorrow.

73,
KD0JLE

[N8YX]

I will NOT be on the air tomorrow from home for contesters to contact. The antenna that I ordered on 6/15 for my first station wasn't shipped until 6/21. The parcel won't arrive at my QTH until Monday. Words don't describe the disappointment of having FD come and go without participating nor the annoyance I feel for the seller for waiting almost a week to ship out a flipping dipole.
What happens when the metaphorical "balloon" 'goes up' and you need to improvise antennas in order to communicate?

Field Day isn't about making the most contacts, or consuming whatever swill gets toted into the operating location in a crock pot. It's about training...and thinking.

Now get out there and build an antenna...and make your Elmer proud.

[KQ9J]

One year when the local club was not doing FD I threw together a 20/40 dipole using junk wire, scrap pvc and old CATV coax that I had been given. Strung it up out at my cabin and had a blast. Actually that "temporary" antenna stayed up and worked fine for 20 years, until a large tree took it down. Also took the cabin roof down, but that is beside the point.

Working this year, and no local FD operation I know of so may just go home and fire up one of the old Heathkits for a while. Cabin was more fun though. Operate, swim. Operate, have a cold beer. Operate, grill steaks. Repeat. :)

[WL7COL]

I have a few words to describe my amazement that you would not have already built 1 or 2 dipoles yourself, instead of relying on a pre-made antenna. The rules here, however, forbid me from using those words. I'll just ask the following:

You ordered a wire antenna? Seriously?



It still can be. Field Day is supposed to be about getting on the air under less than ideal conditions. That includes making your own wire antenna(s) when you have to. It should take about 2 hours to make a 20/40 dipole from scratch. Given the way the solar numbers are going, those are the only 2 bands you'll probably need anyway.

I'm just stunned.....

There are ways of helping. There are ways of pointing out to the new folk the benefits of homebrew vs. purchase, ways of encouraging them to rely on their own ingenuity and intelligence, rather than a store-bought solution. It's sometimes easy to forget that we weren't born with the experiences we have; what seems easy and obvious to us now was, at one time, new and challenging. Mocking and belittling someone's frustration with a process and choices we don't agree with don't seem to be very constructive, or very helpful, and tends to put folk on the defensive. Too much defensiveness and there'll be no one left in Amateur Radio but the experts; Field Day, in particular, is not just about the experts.

73s

[KJ3N]

I didn't realize a simple dipole was challenging, or took an expert.

Learned something new today....

[KD8COO]

Had planned to operate from home. Invited a friend, figuring we could get 2 stations on the air from my place safely. However, upon hearing I invited someone over, my XYL invited a whole bunch more people and is turning it into a non-ham party, so I doubt any operating will be done at all this year.

[KD0JLE]

Had planned to operate from home. Invited a friend, figuring we could get 2 stations on the air from my place safely. However, upon hearing I invited someone over, my XYL invited a whole bunch more people and is turning it into a non-ham party, so I doubt any operating will be done at all this year.

What a great opportunity to introduce ham radio to your wife's friends. Get those stations on the air and impress the guests.

[N8CPA]

Speaking of non-ham guests during Field Day...

Last year, my house was for sale. And the realtor didn't like to show houses while current occupants were at home. I told the realtor I liked 48 hours notice so the wife and I could prep and vacate. As FD weekend approached, I told them I would not be able to leave that weekend so the house would not be available for walk-throughs. But, on Saturday, they called and told me that someone wanted a walk-thru for Sunday while they were in town. At first I said no. Then they called back, I reluctantly agreed but explained that I would be there participating in an emergency radio communications exercise. i didn't explain the whole concept

So, the couple visited while I was busy keying away making contacts Class 1E OH. When they were finished with the walk through, they even talked to me a little bit becasue they had never seen Morse in use before. I then explained AR and Field Day.

But...they bought the house, despite the tower in the backyard!!! Of course, i had to remove it before moving.

So this will be my first FD in this house, with my unnecessarily stealthy inverted-L antenna. Speaking of which, I have to go deploy some radials.

[KC9RGF]

1D here. Special event callsign W9K. All ops and loggers are kids, no one over the age of 14.

[K9ASE]

1D here. Special event callsign W9K. All ops and loggers are kids, no one over the age of 14.That's cool:)
If the bands are short enough I hope I find you

[KC9RGF]

As bad as 10m and 15m are today that should't be an issue.

When 20m shuts down we may fire up the old DX 100 and do a little AM ragchewing on 75m :)

[K9ASE]

As bad as 10m and 15m are today that should't be an issue.

When 20m shuts down we may fire up the old DX 100 and do a little AM ragchewing on 75m :)that's good with me I'll fire up the SX-110 and look for you:)

[K7MH]

I'll be on EMERGENCY 120Vac power...
It's field day and I need to get on the radio. I have no other power to use, that makes it an EMERGENCY, so 120Vac is EMERGENCY POWER!!:p

Actually, I will probably be on 17 meters most all the time.:)

[KA9MOT]

1E IL! Hope to work some of you guys.

[NY7N]

1D AZ here. I was thinking about borrowing a generator to go 1E instead, but decided the neighbors didn't need to listen to it all weekend.

It's 100F+ out there, I'm going to sit in my air conditioned shack, drinking beer, and working all the poor souls sweating and slapping at bugs. ;)

[KJ3N]

1D DE

I will make my customary 10-20 contacts, then turn the radio off, or maybe pursue DX on the WARC bands. Don't know about 12m (solar numbers aren't looking good), but 17m should be open to somewhere.

Looks like a slight change in plans. One of the local groups is short on manpower. I'll probably be doing part of the night shift at KC3AM (2A DE). I'll more than likely focus on 75m, since I won't be getting there before 9pm.

[K7IOA]

can't make it up to the club site because of having to babysit my son's dog. So I am 1D OR, lots of qrm for sure.

[KA9MOT]

I'm still sitting at home 1E IL, and this is incredibly boring....... I think I'm going to drive over to Canton and surprise the folks at the Fulton County Amateur Radio Club's Field Day site. Meet some new people and help them on the overnight shift.

[N2RJ]

Did about 4 hours according to the generator's hour meter. Nice run on 40m too.

But I"m done for the night and possibly for the event for this year. I have things to do tomorrow.

The sad part is that I was on 7128 LSB and heard QRM below me. There were US operators operating on 7125 and 7126 LSB. :( I don't expect people to remember everything from the exam but one should at least know where one can and cannot transmit.

[N8YX]

Ran a bunch on 40 myself to test out the new station configuration. 15 was marginal and 10 was flat broke, busted, kaput.

[KD3NE]

My first time operating Field Day at home and so far it has been OK buuuuuuuuut .........

I have a list of a few calls whose signals were soooooooooooo wide, they covered up a lot of stations nearby.

The funny thing is right now I am listening to one guy because he is loud and covering up others, but he is complaining of QRM. Like he is the #1 source of QRM at this second complaining about QRM.

It's been fun, but I get a sense that at the moment some are really cranking up in that last minute run for the finish line!

[N4BBQ]

Greatest field day ever!

It started with about an eighteen-mile mountain bike ride with my buddy Barry and that was followed by a nice, hot shower. Then Barry & his wife came by and picked up my wife and me and we all loaded up in his jeep and went to lunch, then headed to the woods again where we had about a three mile hike down to the river. We drank a cole baar or three, cooled our tootsies in the river, then came home about dark:30.

Got up this morning and did about 15 more miles on the bike, then headed to Taco Mac for some hot wings and cold baar with my wife and her two brothers and their families. We caught some of the England/Italy football game and now we've just gotten home and I've sat down at the old computer and turned on the rig. I don't hear one scratch, one CQ FD, nor any other type QRM. I gave a call and had a nice QSO with a friend up in MD. What a wonderful field day weekend... :)

[KD3NE]

Greatest field day ever!

It started with about an eighteen-mile mountain bike ride with my buddy Barry and that was followed by a nice, hot shower. Then Barry & his wife came by and picked up my wife and me and we all loaded up in his jeep and went to lunch, then headed to the woods again where we had about a three mile hike down to the river. We drank a cole baar or three, cooled our tootsies in the river, then came home about dark:30.

Got up this morning and did about 15 more miles on the bike, then headed to Taco Mac for some hot wings and cold baar with my wife and her two brothers and their families. We caught some of the England/Italy football game and now we've just gotten home and I've sat down at the old computer and turned on the rig. I don't hear one scratch, one CQ FD, nor any other type QRM. I gave a call and had a nice QSO with a friend up in MD. What a wonderful field day weekend... :)

That sounds like everyday for me.

Get up, wife and I hop on the bike and hit the highways and backroads of MD/DE/PA/VA looking for new places to have lunch/dinner.

Of course it is on a motorcycle, but being retired we have the time.

A weekend of nothing but radio, now that is a rare thing for me!

[WA7PRC]

I mostly worked on my tower & big yagi project (getting closer every day). I managed a little seat time but there sure seemed to be a lot of greenhorn ops on fone. Making a contact took F-O-R-E-V-E-R. CW contacts came much faster.

[KD3NE]

there sure seemed to be a lot of greenhorn ops on fone.

I am glas to hear that.

If any hobby needs new blood, it would be amateur radio !!!!

[K5JYD]

Out of town Sat so cud not get out to a fd site and just ran cw with an ic718 to a 40 dipole fed wid ladder line Sunday morning . Worked the usual 50 contacts most on 40m and a few on 20. Just a paddle and a paper log. Someday I'll spring for a laptop and logging program and see how that works out.
There is no excuse for not building ur own dipole, its 3 insulators and two pieces of wire and a feed line. Whats the big deal abt a dipole?
k5jyd

[N4BBQ]

That sounds like everyday for me.

Get up, wife and I hop on the bike and hit the highways and backroads of MD/DE/PA/VA looking for new places to have lunch/dinner.

Of course it is on a motorcycle, but being retired we have the time.

A weekend of nothing but radio, now that is a rare thing for me!

Oh man. Live it up brother.

[KD3NE]

Someday I'll spring for a laptop and logging program and see how that works out.

k5jyd

This was my first time using logging software, I literally downloaded it yesterday morning. It had an associated rig control program ( if your rig has comp control ). It made life a blast.

All I had to do was enter the call sign and report info, it got all the operator info off the net. ( QRZ lookup ) The rig control program filled in band and mode data.

[KQ9J]

Was almost too tired to mess with it, but got on last night for about an hour on 40 phone and made a whopping 26 contacts. Hunted and pounced and wound up with 20 states and 1 Canadian. Would like to have run longer, but had to get up in the morning. FD all over by the time I got home from work today. Next year I am going to make sure I am OFF!! And have the cabin refrig stocked and some antennas up out there again!

[KJ3N]

.... there sure seemed to be a lot of greenhorn ops on fone.

It was sometimes painful to listen to.

[KE7DJQ]

I was planning on operating as a 1E from home, but only had about 15 minutes to do it. I spent the rest of the time at the club field day site, or trying to catch a few ZZZs.

[W0AAT]

1e from home powered by 464 AH of battery that was newly installed and charged by a single 140 watt solar panel laying on the lawn. Other 3 panels parked in the house until they get installed next week. Ran 12 hours made 121 contacts using my base tuned 43 foot vertical.