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Trying to stay true to Field Day

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by OH8STN, Jul 5, 2019.

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  1. K9KQX

    K9KQX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Yeah, I like the minimalist approach W0FW did. I'm not much of an outdoorsman, but in my opinion, having the smallest gokit/box you can bring and an easy to setup antenna that fits in a backpack or easily carried to the site would be ideal.

    So if it were me, I'd prep this for easy deployment
    1. Food... Notice food is number 1, I'm a ham with an appetite... maybe some krispy creme donuts and coffee to wash it down :D
    2. tent, and sleeping bag
    3. Water
    4. Small Mobile HF rig
    5. Magnetic loop Antenna or as a backup a resonant wire antenna. For this I like the OCF as its useful on multiple bands, and less wires then a fan dipole, and no traps. Draw back are finding trees. Alternative to no trees is some kind of adjustable Vertical antenna, but I'm not a fan of base loaded antennas. Tried a portable one, and didn't have much luck.
    6. Batteries, preferably those light weight Lithium batteries.
    7. And finally if possible some kind of flexible solar cells you can fold up. Might not allow you to operate all day, but if I can get on the air for a couple times during the day that works for me.

    For me FD means an exercise in portable emergency communications in a SHTF event. ya might not need to communicate for a solid 24 hours, but proving you can setup quickly, and make effective contacts shows its usefulness when time could be a critical factor. It shouldn't take weeks of planning to go do a FD. The biggest planning might be the initial go Kit preparation, but after that it should take no more then 30 minutes to grab what you can and be out the door.
     
    N2NOW and WN1MB like this.
  2. W0FW

    W0FW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Agreed.

    I keep a "bug out" bag packed at all times with the essentials for a field station, minus the KX3 since that is used in the shack when I am not portable. I keep a QRPGuy's tri-band vertical which is a quarter-wave for 20 meters, and uses a couple switches and toroids for loading on 30 and 40 meters. SWR is less than 1.4:1 on all 3 bands. I also carry a QRPGuy's 60/80 meter vertical antenna. The tri-bander weights just 3 ounces....and both fit in the palm of my hand when stowed. I use a 20 foot Shakespeare Wonderpole to hold them up since trees are pretty hard to come by out here on the prairie. I normally carry a headless Raspberry Pi for digital modes and a 10 inch Android tablet. The soundcard is a $7 Sabrent USB soundcard that I bought off Amazon, along with a U-blox GPS dongle for accurate timekeeping and precisely pinpointing my 10 digit grid square.
    The entire station is powered from a 10Ah LiFePo 4 battery and that will easily provide 8 - 10 hours of operating at QRP levels....and the KX3's internal Eneloop batteries will provide a few more hours, at reduced power...if needed.

    The whole station fits into a fairly small pack and is ready to go on a moments notice.

    If I intend to operate beyond 10 hours, I'll take a second pack with the roll up solar panel, collapsible camp stove and dehydrated food but I typically don't have that much free time on the ranch.
     
    N2NOW and WA2LXB like this.
  3. WU7H

    WU7H Ham Member QRZ Page

    Fun video. Had to laugh about the reason for not putting up a dipole. Launching gear? How about a rock and some paracord... LOL. I've put up a dipole on a few hundred summits in the Pacific NW for SOTA activations without any launching gear. Here is my SOTA station (photo attached), which I've used on week long backpacking trips to do multiple SOTA activations per day. Weighs in right around 2 lbs. Never failed to make plenty of contacts using the original digital mode!

    Keep up the good work - I do enjoy these videos!

    73,

    WU7H
     

    Attached Files:

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  4. WN1MB

    WN1MB Ham Member QRZ Page

    My "launching gear" consists of some colored mason line and a 8 ounce plastic bottle with a screw on top. With the bottle about 2/3 full with water, I can consistently get the mason pull line(s) 50-60 feet up into the trees. No overhand pitching! Besides silly, it's just about guarantees an injury to the throwing arm. Instead, I do the "pendulum underhand pitch." Works a charm!
     
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  5. WD4IGX

    WD4IGX Ham Member QRZ Page

    I applaud this approach, but also think there's a place for campers, generators, even RVs etc. If one sees this as at least in part as an emergency exercise then, depending on the type and extent of such hypothetical emergency, there might be a need for one guy to heroically come hiking in with a backpack, or a need for several people from a club to come set up a field communications center, or anything in between. It's all good to me.
     
    K0PIR, AK5B, WU7H and 2 others like this.
  6. WA2LXB

    WA2LXB XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Joshua, which make and model of telescoping pole are you using?

    BTW, I use a fishing pole with hex nuts weights for a launcher.

    Thanks,
    Hugh
     
  7. K7GYB

    K7GYB XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    I have been doing Field Day for 3 years now QRP operating out of my truck. I drive 2.5 hours off road to get to a ridge @ 6780 ft. in Eastern Washington. I made 53 contacts this year (not including the meandering herd of elk and wild turkeys that visited me). FT817/PackTenna random wire, a 2-band log periodic and some LiPo batteries that I charge from my truck battery when they need it. I basically use my SOTA Backpack rig and whatever I can fit in my little truck.

    It is exciting to be in the field. It is exciting to make contacts outshooting the big guns using cunning and guile.

    I love learning about the capabilities of my rig and myself.

    I love Field Day more than Mexican food.
    IMG_1687.JPG

    K7GYB
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2019
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  8. WU7H

    WU7H Ham Member QRZ Page

    I got the pole off ebay. Just search on there - hundreds to choose from. It's about 20' long and cost under $20 shipped from China. I think it was marketed as carbon fiber, but it's fiberglass. Works great for treeless summits.

    K7GYB: Hi Dave. Thanks for the S2S last weekend. Nice FD site. Last year we did Table Mtn QRP FD and made a ton of contacts (and chased SOTA =)
    I will be out Friday doing 2 or 3 summits as part of the Salmoncon S2S QSO party, hope to hear you on the air.

    I agree with WD4IGX - I'm not here to rain on anyone's parade. If it's ham radio and you are in to it, then go for it! The more people are active, the better off we all are.
     
    N2NOW, AK5B, WA2LXB and 3 others like this.
  9. N4SJJ

    N4SJJ Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    I really enjoyed the video Julian. I have not yet tried biking to an operating site but have added it to my to do list.
     
  10. K7GYB

    K7GYB XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Hey Josh! Always a pleasure!!! Yep, I'll be attempting Bald Mt. (WH-180) on Saturday - hope I don't miss the party!

    And I agree w/you and WD4IGX; Amateur Radio is dynamic and constantly changing with new disciplines/technologies opening up ushered in by talented innovators just about every year, and I think that's a good thing. There is enough room on this planet for everyone to have fun.
     
  11. KY5U

    KY5U Ham Member QRZ Page

    A word on "Go Kits":

    They're not "go kits" if you don't go anywhere. They're "stay kits". Get out and practice with your go kit. On HF see how quickly you can set up with practice. Good luck!
     
    WD4IGX and K7GYB like this.
  12. KC5MO

    KC5MO Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Awesome!
     
  13. WN1MB

    WN1MB Ham Member QRZ Page

    It's been just over a week since Julian's original post and a week since my reply/comment. Maybe he has been too busy to, or simply doesn't bother reading follow up comments, let alone respond to them.

    That said, I'm going to speculate that much, if not all of the equipment used in the video was donated by manufacturers or reps.
     
  14. WA2LXB

    WA2LXB XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    The distrustful tone of your posts may indicate frustration that Julian is recommending equipment without full disclosure of who provided it, and therefore a concern that his reviews may be slanted?

    The service that Julian provides is actually operating the stuff he's reviewing...one can see first hand which helps one to evaluate if it's something to consider purchasing. The more information the better and there is a lot of thoughtfully explained information provided in his videos.

    I enjoy Julian's videos and equipment recommendations for what they are, not for what they are not. Like most hams, if I'm thinking about purchasing anything Julian reviews I'll do more research myself on eHam, Amazon, DXE and multiple other sites before parting with my money.

    I look forward to Julian's next review as much as I do the next issue of QST.

    I hope you don't look at my post as accusatory or hostile, I'm just trying to figure out where you are coming from.
     
  15. WN1MB

    WN1MB Ham Member QRZ Page

    That's a fair and accurate appraisal. No offense intended in my posts and no offense taken with your's. We're good here.

    I simply like very clear and obvious demarcation between information and commercial. Some YouTube creators openly state that such-and-such an item was donated...wish more would do so. Some YouTube creators openly state that they bought such-and-such an item. I appreciate that, too.

    Altogether too many videos leave me wondering if the creators actually bought all the stuff they're reviewing, or simply promoting so as to "play for free". And in altogether too few videos do I hear "This turned out to be junk. Don't buy it."

    That's it. Now I'll shut up - for a while...;)
     
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