Field Day 2012

[WD9EWK]

I'll do my usual 1B 1-operator/battery/QRP Field Day effort from somewhere in northern Arizona this weekend, working HF and 6m along with the satellites. I will even keep my TH-F6A triband HT ready for FM simplex work, which came in handy last year for a couple of QSOs. For the past few years, I worked from a picnic area in the Kaibab National Forest, about 20 miles/32km west of Flagstaff AZ along old Route 66. Sure beats staying in the Phoenix heat to play radio. If I get up north early enough Saturday morning, I may even work some satellite passes (and maybe look for 6m openings) before 1800 UTC from somewhere up there, getting things warmed up for the start of Field Day.

I won't bother trying FM satellite passes to the east of me. At 5W, there's almost no hope of breaking through the crowds. Careful work on the western passes, or on SO-50 before its footprint goes too far east, will be the plan for the FM birds. I'll also be on the SSB birds, again hoping that stations are mindful of their transmit power through the transponders. I've worked Field Day at QRP power levels for many years, and it is fun.

73!

[KQ6EA]

Hope to work you again, Patrick!
Jim

[WD9EWK]

Hope to work you again, Patrick!
Jim

Hope to get you, too. I think we missed each other last year, but I know we worked once or twice in 2010. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment by going QRP on Field Day, but I get away with using the same 2 jumpstart batteries I carry for my satellite work to power my station for as long as I operate during the weekend - HF/6m and satellites. And it is fun....

73!

[WA6MHZ]

Field Day for the Amateur Radio Club of El Cajon will be held at Santee Lakes (entrance parking lot),
9300 Fanita Parkway, Santee, CA 92071. We will have 75M, 40M, 20M, 15M maybe 10M, 6M and 2M active. The centerpiece of the FD will be our clubs 100ft Tower Trailer, an absolutely MAGNIFICENT device. We will also have several of the 40ft military style towers up too. I will be supplying a Hallicrafters SR-400 for 20M, and Swan 250C for 6. Also an Icom IC-251A and Heathkit VL-2280 Power amp for 2M FM/SSB. The Kenwood TS-830S and Icom IC-745 will also be along as backups.

I will be primarily on 20SSB, really pumping out the signal from the West Coast. Listen for WA6BGS BIG GREEN SPIDER. People want me to say "BRAVO GOLF SIERRA" but I like the big green spider! That has been the club's nickname for over 50 years!

At dusk, I will turn the mic over to the night shift, but then be back in action early Sunday morning. I can't do the 24 hrs anymore, especially having to be at WORK Monday morning at 5AM.

So, look for WA6BGS on 20! U can talk to me!

[KJ4YJG]

We worked you on 15 today for N4FR in TN.

[KQ6EA]

Patrick, thanks for the Field Day QSO!
We both had to work at it, but thanks!
73, Jim

[WD9EWK]

Patrick, thanks for the Field Day QSO!
We both had to work at it, but thanks!
73, Jim

Glad we could hook up. I was worried you copied my station as 1D. I was definitely not on commercial power, but on batteries (1B) about 20 miles west of Flagstaff AZ in the Kaibab National Forest. I did better on the satellites this year compared to 2011. I still have to put my reports together, for ARRL & AMSAT.

73!

[KB2FCV]

Oh geeze, I'll make ONE contact and that's it, just like last year. I can ONLY work the fm sats, I don't have the equipment to work the linear birds, and a vhf contact is worth extra points. Plus I use the fm sats as a demonstration. Thanks for the lecture.

Lecture? I don't have the equipment to work linear sats either, just an HT and a handheld yagi trying to make just one QSO on the FM birds. The last couple of years I have heard people there that make multiple field day contacts on multiple passes. It's not fair to others who just want one QSO for the 100 points. Sorry if you feel I am lecturing, it's more a vent of frustration towards the inconsiderate people who decide to get on 2-3 passes handing out field day points.

[K0BAM]

Lecture? I don't have the equipment to work linear sats either, just an HT and a handheld yagi trying to make just one QSO on the FM birds. The last couple of years I have heard people there that make multiple field day contacts on multiple passes. It's not fair to others who just want one QSO for the 100 points. Sorry if you feel I am lecturing, it's more a vent of frustration towards the inconsiderate people who decide to get on 2-3 passes handing out field day points.

Well you'll be happy to know I wasn't using the fm sats on field day this year, in fact I wasn't at field day at all.

[KB2FCV]

Well you'll be happy to know I wasn't using the fm sats on field day this year, in fact I wasn't at field day at all.

I'm sorry to hear you were unable to get to field day this year, I had hardly any time, if any to operate. There is always next year