Magnolia Intertie GOTA Event at French Camp, MS, Saturday Feb 21, 2015: 2-4pm CST

The French Camp Academy was established in 1888 in central Mississippi along the Natchez Trace as a home for troubled youth (see www.frenchcamp.org). It's now a small town unto itself with a well known private school serving both day-students and in-residence youth. On Saturday, February 21, 2015, members of the Magnolia Intertie (magnolia-intertie.com) will travel to French Camp Academy with GOTA event stations for the students and staff interested in amateur radio. This even will kick-off a new school club at FCA. The Magnolia Intertie will be on the air from around 2pm to 4pm Central Time, using CW, SSB, and Digital on 80M, 40M and 20M as conditions dictate. Area repeaters on 2M & 70cm will also be active by participants. Talk to some prospective hams as they get their first experience operating under a Control Operator. For details on the French Camp Project, see magnolia-intertie.com. Donations of equipment to French Camp Academy would be most appreciated and qualify for a tax deduction. Bob Heil of Heil Sound has already committed to help with this station as has Martin Jue of MFJ Enterprises.

 

Callsign is KG5FCI!

 

73 to all who made contact with KG5FCI yesterday at French Camp! Our CW op couldn't make it but we had good contacts on SSB and digital using ocf dipoles at not more than 15' in the air! We will likely do another event there in the near future, probably during the evening during a boot camp training/licensing on a weekend. Their are around 50 students indicating interest in obtaining their amateur license. We will try to identify the bands and target frequencies before hand.

School officials have identified an office in the Student Union Building with their Physical Plant due to begin work on it soon. The Magnolia ARC in Starkville has donated a tilt-over 50' tower. We are looking for a suitable rotator and trip and beam from donors and any other equipment to outfit the shack. FCA can issue a tax benefit receipt. Thank you all for your support for this outreach to a group of young people among the most deserving among us!

 

K5CSW and K5PHB listened for the French Camp station on 80,40, and 20M, but could not hear them in Central Texas. We used to travel the Natchez Trace quite often, and would often stop in French Camp to visit the wonderful bakery. Maybe we can make contact next year.

Frank K5PHB