51 On Air Transmitters! The Record Breaking Field Day Tactics of W3AO

I forgot the two descriptions I often use -- No, it's not a contest; it's an operating event and/or activity weekend. So are all those others that some people call contests. And some people get on in a so-called "contest" and work a couple new countries, work their friends, or something else casual. Likewise in Field Day. Like those other weekends, some people are more, or less, serious about the different ways to approach it.

The background of the W3AO FD - my friend (since 4th grade), W3IO, pestered me to do FD -- back in the early 90s I guess it was. I said nah, sounds boring -- hot weather, gotta put up a portable antenna, run on generator, and the rate is probably really slow. I finally gave in when I realized we could go up portable on my 1,100 acre hunting club lodge in the marsh and swamp of Dorchester County, Maryland (surrounded by the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge). I actually had a good time. My F-150 6-1/2' bed with ladder rack reminded me of the Beverly Hillbillies, with TH6 elements, and push-up mast on top, especially crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. So, glutton for punishment, I did it again the next, accompanied by XYL Amy. Set up in the 30' observation tower/boat shed way out in the marsh, disturbing a nest of barn owls. I hadn't realized all the windows on that top level were busted out too -- insects! Year three, W0VTT (aka KO7V, W3MC) asked to come along and bring his longtime NJ friend WA2DFI, who had moved to AZ, and we opped in that shed under the WA2DFI cxall.

Next, I realized it would be a lot easier to op in the woods behind my house (Maryland suburbs near DC), so I did a series of 1B operations, sometimes inviting another local, making us 1B2 I guess. Maybe 6 years total of my "B" operations. One of those ops was from a surplus Air Force Com trailer given to me by W3GRF. Then I acquired a regular camper trailer that had been a county weather monitoring thing, a giveaway too. I decided to op from that and go 1A for the first time, extending invitations to various PVRCers like W3ML, W3KN,(relief ops mostly) K2YWE, W3HVQ, KC3VO, and ND3F (who set up the VHF/UHF bonus station). On what I now, in hindsight, call "Field Day Thursday," then the day before antenna setup Friday (aka Field day Friday), I got a phone call from K3RA asking if he could join me. I said, sure since I was going to be in the "A" category. I knew Rol from the W3LPL M/M, the regular 20M op and had heard, as a compliment, he was a "lead butt," so I said "You probablly want to op the whole 24, right?" "Yes." "So, we probably ought to go 2A." Rol said sure, so I chose 40 CW and he chose 20 CW and that's what we did. Without targeting any other 2A group or even benchmarking what had previously been done, we had at it. I asked Rol recently, not remembering how we did, and I believe he checked and we came in second. I'm surprised we did that well "without trying."

From Rol i heard the story of a local club that he and several good/great PVRC ops had been opping with -- that club had gotten tired of those "ringers" dominating, saying, let's say, "Hey, when do I get to op!?" I have since confirmed this -- one year that group decided to do a "satellitie only" FD and maybe made one or two QSOs, and (I forget which came first) voted to do an all 160M balloon vertical FD -- no other HF or anything. The round balloon, not the "aerostat" type, in the wind went over near horizontal. I don't recall hearing whether they made one QSO or one. Well, K3RA, W3LPL and others had been doing FD every year since in the 1950s, it may have been primarily how ham radio got their attention. So, again unexpected, I got a phone call the next Thursday from W3LPL and his words were "If you're doing Field Day seriously next year can I join?" I of course said sure and then "I've heard the story of why you guys are looking for a new FD operation. Who else should we invited?" The quick answer was K3MM.

On the local repeater two ladies ragchewed every day, one of them across the bay, who said there was a waterfront property for sale, had been for a year or two, and she didn't know why it hadn't sold. My ears perked up, knowing such properties were very pricey, etc. -- not wanting to stir up any interest on the repeater I waited 'til their QSO ended, then phoned "Bettye." I asked her if she would mind going over and getting the phone # from the realtor's sign. No problem -- she called me back with it -- my mom having passed, my dad was getting remarried and my future stepmom (longtime family friend) was moving from Indianapolis, and she and dad were considering where to live -- yes, they would like to go see the property on Saturday and when I asked they said it was fine if my XYL, who by about that time had become W3AMY, could go along. Sure. So we did.

It was a summer shack, no furnace (had a fireplace), cold running water only. It DID have a toilet, which is good. Being "grandfathered,' it was closer to the water's edge than was currently allowed. The "edge" was a 35-40' bluff down to the water -- and with a 180 degree semi-saltwater Chesapeake Bay water view to the west, kind of a perfect domestic "event" QTH. Baltimore and it's now-famous "Key" Bridge famous in the distance. I recall WR3L coming over by boat, probably the first year. Oh, the 3/4 acre lot was $75,000! Dad and stepmom Gloria started staying over there, shopped local builders and had a nice home built for like $115,000! Bargain! The bay's channel being close to that shore, I remember that first time a ship came by filling up the living room sliding doors! I was amazed!

I had started acquiring the AB-577 towers cheap by putting together group purchases -- 28 one time, 25 another time -- and I piggybacked. I told the Ontario Surplus guy, no, I didn't need more of the canvas parts bags (the ones he still had were falling apart), I didn't need another sledgehammer to come with each set, and I did not care if the olive green shades did not match. I got the AB-577 idea from W4IY, Woodbridge Wireless, a bunch of nice guys, good ops, who were also in PVRC and were very serious about FD and mountaintopped in the VHF contests too. Rode with them to Dayton a couple times, lots of FD talk.

I pitched to my FD guys to do this year, which I call, in hindsight, our first ramp-up year, going to that site, they readily agreed. None had seen it but me. I listened on the "PVRC" repeater (K3WX really, not an official PVRC thing) as they made the drive, all excited, 'til they crossed the bridge and turned north -- the excitement turned to grumbling, "Where IS this place? The end of the world?" I remember W3CP/W3CPB, deep southern accent, saying on the repeater, "Is anyone in charge of this thing?" No, I realized our operation was more "creative chaos." I hsad seen the excellent N1FD/N1NH website -- they had been the top score in FD three years in a row -- they were super organized. We were not, still are not, but have key people each of whom does his job reliably.

I had taken a pickup truck load or two of the "577" masts over the previous weekend, etc. and was waiting for everyone to arrive. I loved it when suddenly their attitudes changed when they saw the 180 degree view! That year it was the four of us, K3RA, W3LPL, K3MM and me, so we went 4A. Our approach always was, for many years at least, to let our category float to however many ops, radios and antennas we had. At that time the predecessor of the GOTA sstation was the "novice and tech station." W3AMY had passed novice, 5 WPM, had not studied for tech but the test-givers said "Oh, give it a try," and sure enough she passed the tech exam without having studied for it.

We set up the tables for FD, in a straight line in dad's garage (not a ham station on his site, by the way) Frank on the far left, I guess Rol next, K3MM, then me -- and Amy to my right. She would ask things like how to wipe out the QSO on CT, etc. and I could help. She did 10M SSB only. 4A. We had no idea that W2GD's group was doing 4A every year, winning it, and setting the all-time record (they did). We had NOT targeted them! The next year W2GD went 5A and probably set that alltime record too. He and I chatted, compared notes -- the next year his group went back to 4A, adopting some of our approach, and they reclaimed their all-time record! The only category record that W3AO has ever given up!

Year two we were back over there, had 7 ops, 7 radios, 7 antennas so we went 7A. I remember LPL, 15 minutes before start time, saying "Hey, we should go 7A" and we all readily agreed. Our invitation to join us was pretty much wide open, so over the ensuing years various guys joined us and the operation grew. If you put the three modes on the six traditional HF bands, that's a maximum tx number of 18 obviously. Nov/tech or GOTA is a "bonus" not adding to your category -- as is the first VHF/UH station. Beyond that if you have a "rover" (or more than one), a serious VHF/UHF contest guy -- you can run the number WAY up. And at the time you got a 100 point bonus for each tx "running on emergency power." I have raised the subject, with a chuckle, from time to time, "How many ham bands do we have?" I have yet to have anyone give an an answer -- legal bits of spectrum we can use -- I guess including "light" (we did do laser one of those big years). In any case, with 51 transmitters we could start with 5,100 points as we called our first CQs at 2 PM (Eastern).

I guess it must have been year three the neighboring home was sold (to a NASA spokesman guy), the previous very decent home was being torn down to build his new one, and we could op in the tear-down. Good times, writing scores on the drywall with a marker, etc. I think N3OC moved the toilet into the living room where we were all set up operating -- window and sliding door all knocked out already -- and had a photo taken of him making QSOs while sitting on the toilet. That stuff. I didn't mention -- over the years we got permissions from all the neighbors to the north and south there to spread our antennas out up to the 1,000 maximum separation, all pointed west. I remember K3MQH (maybe it was that 7A year, year two) being the farthest one south, in a tent. He made something like 750 QSOs on 10 SSB, while W3AMY on novice/tech made something like 650. Cool.

Dad and stepmom Gloria were apparently feeling some pressure in hosting us every year so they suggested the next year we go somewhere else. Aww... but in a way we were apparently "been there done that" and most of the ops from from central Maryland, so school playground types sites were found in the following years. I think 3 different ones over those years. I think it was the first year "back on this western side of the bay" that ARRL had retired novice/tech ('course at some point "novice" had been retired too, for new licensees) -- but the GOTA thing had replaced it. That was the first year the Rol hired a tent and port-a-potty. I don't know, maybe W8-I can't remember the rest began lining up our sites, getting permissions from the county.) Well, like K3MH doing 10M across the bay, that first year "over here" we set up a tent for GOTA, 400' from the main tent. One oldtimer who I did not previously know was eager to be the GOTA coach. It had not occurred to me yet to do that role -- I still had dibs on 40 CW, which I considered, you know, a serious operating role. We had one brand new extra who was super eager to op at GOTA. But the GOTA coach did not handle well, juggling the "who gets to op when" thing, that eager new guy was extremely frustrated, went away in tears. I actually encouraged him, counseled him, directed him to one or two other local FDs and I think he's found his niches with those. He's never come back to our operation. That is when I realized if GOTA was not done "right" it could be a big flop. I've done the GOTA coaching ever since.

That's most of the story except our group had our category float. Of course we were doing categories that had never been done before, so getting the all time record each time was easy. At some point, Frank and Rol primarily would get their heads together and choose a category for the next year. I guess we've knocked of most all, if not all, in the 30s and 20s and 10s, which is why our category number has been going down each year. The two of them, plus N3KTV over the years, until covid, would make the antenna placement decisions, etc. Having top ops on every bandmode, particularly the real "bread and butter" bands is key, LPL always on 20 SSB, RA on 20 CW, 40 both modes certainly important, KD4D, W2GG and others -- K3MM moved over to digital, joined by N3OC -- very excellent "journeymen" populating 80, 15, 10 -- we had AI3M on 160 for some years away-- he passed -- but a serious effort on 160, combined modes, might make "only" 100 during the weekend. Certainly LPL's crew of M/M ops (Now M/2, yes, I know) was a pool of ops, and PVRC a broader pool, but we have always been open to others too, though it has never been an official PVRC club activity.

I had acquired the W3AO callsign, a club callsign -- remember when the callsign W3DX came up, the only call area that had a W*DX call available-- I figured a hundred guys would put in for it the first day it was available, so I put it at the top of my list of 25 also -- knowing that my second chose was more likely, and that was W3AO. An inactive ham (I was told) in Charlottesville, Virginia, got the W3DX call, hihi).That's OK... I liked W3AO because it was "dah heavy" on CW and "Atlantic Ocean" was catchy and easily understood on both sides of the Atlantic, even worldwide. I have yet to hear a complain from our ops that it's "non-start phonetics, and our ops are very savvy of course. Of course we also say alpha oscar and other ones too. But Atlantic Ocean predominates.

So, why "National Press Radio Club?" Because I am a career newsman (and with own niche), had offices in the National Press Building, worked at the WH for 5 presidents, so I had the idea of doing an operation, maybe FD, from the WH South Lawn, invite whoever was president to come out and have his photo taken with a microphone in hand for magazine covers, etc. Get some trailer company donate a trailer or their publicity. I actually sat next to the Wilburt company CEO -- the company that sells the pneumatic mast for the TV on location trucks -- and he put me in touch with their guy in Ohio -- to see if I could get one of those masts donated. "Some things" are still in the works... many of you know there were or are club stations in the US Senate, State Department, Pentagon (I helped remove some antenna from the Pentagon), the nearby Coast Guard, etc. The idea was to op from them all, over some period of time... I realized if I could corral licensed hams among the newsmen, radio and TV engineers and cameramen, WH staff some of whom I knew had ham licenses, etc. -- it could be enough clout to get some things done, like operating permission from there. I did op a tiny bit from the WH and from the WH press plane when we flew somewhere...

OK... yes, I admit I'm long winded. 73 - KE3Q

 

FB!

 

Not checked for typos or typos fixed...

 

After all these years I hear bits and pieces of previous FD lore -- apparently, PVRC had done a big FD many years -- with kilowatts! Amazingly, small world, they had set the all-time QSO record (such records are all unofficial) -- from very near our "across the bay" QTH. I heard K3EST, well known op, was part of it -- maybe they used his call, I don't know. 11,000 or so QSOs. At some point PVRC began doing FD in Bowie, Maryland at "White Marsh Park" -- a year or more after that ended I happened to move to a home about 3 houses away from that site! Thinking back on such history I have heard W3LPL two or three times recently tell the story about how critical reliable AC from your generators is. PVRC running I don't know how many transmitters, at the kilowatt level -- took a lot of reliable AC. And one year the AC failed and all the ops totally lost interest in doing FD the next year and beyond. That park, "White Marsh Park," has the football, etc. lights for nighttime play -- PVRC installed their antennas on those. Long ago I think it was K3NA who told me he had been one of the people climbing those poles to put up the antennas. At the KW level you can make a lot of QSOs but at a much lower points per QSO level, so I think very few FD groups go KW. I know we don't! Someone (not us) with a FLEX Aurora should find that power level very tempting, though! 73 KE3Q

 

I know a group who measured their success by how many hot dogs and beers consumed... hihi 73 KE3Q

 

We get into fine points of rules interpretations W3AO was given over the decades, plus reasonable judgment calls. At one point within the same 15 minute period was considered simultaneous. And on making a QSO in FD on some lightly populated band the interpretation was a "reasonable effort should be made," which was several CQs... KE3Q

 

We never broke the rules and I've explained some of the rule interpretations, guidance, given so us by ARRL. I always chuckled at the title of that video because I don't think it was "the last big FD." Those since then have been virtually the same size, just without the VHF rover running the tx total up. The video maker did not consult with us about the title or anything else. He was completely independent. KE3Q

 

And, in a true emergency reasonable people would start by putting ONE station on the air initially, as a need was perceived and it would/could ramp up from there. I know for me, it was FD that incentivized me to acquire five generators. Had zero before deciding to get into FD. Certainly in any major emergency I could get a station on the air immediately from home on AC. If generator needed that'd take me another 5-10 minutes. If all my antennas were destroyed, let's say 10-30 minutes to hang one from nearby trees -- I've enjoyed following the growth of POTA too -- which correlates. Putting up an AB-577 portable mast, made by and for the military for a similar purpose, quick installation for, if not "emergency," then let's say "potentially important" purposes. So, after station one in an emergency others could be added one by one. I would guess most hams would set up one at or near home rather than all congregating at a site together 45 minutes, sometimes more, from home. Nevertheless, FD is, I believe, a significant training ground for such capabilities. Even if, sometimes, it's realizing the "holes" in one's preparations and capabilities. Then there's the operating skillls aspect -- very significant. I often explain what is a so-called contest club about? It is about improving operating skills and improving your station, both of which are very important if "one" was ever called upon for some sort of serious communications need. And learning from some of the best, some with the most station/antenna knowledge, it's low-hanging fruit when you associate with such guys. KE3Q

 

Inter-station interference, I have "sat in" on the nearby local club's FD Zooms -- they go on and on about not being able to get more than one station on the air at a time due to inter-station interference. They don't want to hear my suggestions from our W3AO experience so I mostly keep quiet. 1, they don't use the full 1,000' separation allowed by the rules. 2, they think it's important to have a dipole oriented E-W and another one oriented N-S. All of W3AO's are end to end to each other and all "pointing" (I don't really say "pointed" about a dipole and we have no trouble working VO1 and KP4, stuff to the north and stuff to the south -- long ago, at our 100 watt level, I heard W3LPL describe FD as "a loud signal contest." A little more theoretical gain in this direction or that really doesn't make much difference.) We use good bandpass filters in each band and put as many as four stations on a band at a time. How's that? CW, SSB, and digital, that's three. GOTA, our only one with a multi-band antenna (tribander, plus dipoles for 80 and 40), goes to 40, or 20, or whatever, and we're the 4th station on the band, all within our 40x20 tent and antenna less than 1,000' from each other. One Sunday morning I thought I'd try seeing if I could work some Europeans, so I walked way down the field to our tribander and hand turned the tribander toward Europe. Back at our GOTA desk we CQed and instantly sevearl times in the tent began yelling! "Okay, okay, I'll turn it back" I said -- went back down and turned it west again. That's the only time that has happened in our, what, 28 or more years of doing W3AO!? Lesson learned. Also, we're good ops. When I decide to move our GOTA ops to a new band, like 20, I first ascertain where LPL is CQing and try for some frequency separation within the phone band. When we start transmitting I keep a sharp eye on him at the far end of the tent, watching for reactions. Some years he did react, but I'm half surprised it's been some years now since he's complained or reacted at all. Maybe the FT5000 he uses is better than what he previously used at FD, or the filtering, or something. Now, when we go to 15 SSB I get an immediate reaction from our op there, W3IDT, hence we don't spend much time on 15 for that reason. I don't know why. Maybe I should ding LPL to add stubs, or a better-filtered radio or something. What, 10 months til next FD, right? So, the local club, less savvy ops, antennas closer together than they could be, and antenna not all broadside pointed west.... they could learn a bit from the W3AO group... KE3Q

 

Thank you for the comment, "What's wrong with 45 people getting some practice?" Right! But even beyond that, it's 45 people learning from each other, the newer guys learning from the older guys -- and even some old dogs need to learn some new tricks. I know every year I pick up on anything "different," some tweak, etc. (licensed in 1965.) KE3Q But hey I'm a youngster compared to W3LPL and K3RA who were licensed in the 1950s. Ask K3RA sometime about his Johns Hopkins Ham Club memorable nighttime experience... KE3Q

 

That's right, no problem with it. Why block people out? The more the merrier, group effort, learn cooperation, learn from each other, all the above. KE3Q Thank you for that comment.

 

Misses the point -- what point? -- the point is not to set up 51 stations before starting. In a real emergency you'd start with ONE station and ramp up at a reasonable pace if a need was perceived. FD is an EXERCISE, to push the limits and see what can be achieved! In a true holocaust emergency (let's say nuclear conflagration), who would say no, no, we don't want a second station; one is more than enough.... I think comms guys (us) would expand to whatever the perceived need was. But if some group went to 51 they're proving it can be done, that 51 stations, radio/antenna combinations, with ops to run them all, can actually do that! What? Wow! Theoretically, those 51 could then be dispersed to 51 locations and maintain communications. I think that's a worthwhile capability. - KE3Q

 

Haha, so how many would you limit it to during a true emergency? And what would be your standard for setting that limit? - KE3Q