| Utica Shelby Emergency Communication Association |
K8UO 147.180 100Hz CTCSS [Listen live] |
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January 19,2012: February 2012 Express Is Out! See the Express Page. January 28,2012: USECA Winter Field Day See the Events Page. NEW STUFF Check Out The Contributors Page Here. |
Guide to Field Day
USECA is nearing its final preparations for Field Day 2010. For those that know the drill, we will again be operating QRP-Battery. For noobs to the hobby or those unfamiliar with ham radio, here is a rough guide to USECA.s FD. Bill N8SA, Ray N8UY (ex-KD8CXY) and myself N8XO will be co-chairing the event this year, and Jim N8MCD will once again open up his farm to host the event. This year, we have decided to have a Hawaiian theme (Bring your best tropical flower shirt!) to the event. Aloha!
What is Field Day? Each year, tens of thousands of radio amateurs (hams) participate in the largest ARRL-sponsored on-air event called Field Day. The .Field. could be a school, mall parking lot, campground, park, or other place. USECA holds its Field Day at Jim, N8MCD.s Farm in Romeo. FD is the biggest event in all of Amateur Radio in the western hemisphere, where hams set up radio stations to make as many 2-way contacts in a 24-hour period as possible, tally their contacts and points scores, then break down their stations, and pack up to go home. These contacts are made using voice (CQ CQ CQ.), digital signals sent in data .packets., and the old stand-by, Morse Code (dah-dit, dah-dah-dah-dit-dit, dah-dit-dit-dah, dah-dah-dah). Everyone from individuals to clubs take part. For USECA, it is THE event around which all other activities revolve. Field Day.s key element is to test the Amateur Radio Service.s readiness at emergency communications. Every year, FD brings together radio amateurs, state and local authorities, representative agencies served by amateur radio (RACES, ARES, SKYWARN, MARS, etc.), along with the general public to highlight the tremendous effort, time and talent that goes into maintaining a readily-available network to provide communications in the event of man-made or natural disasters. Who are the Players? Every ham from the hard-core CW contester to the well-equipped casual phone operator, and everyone in between, plays a role. FD offers something for everyone: Phone (AM, FM, or SSB); Digital (AMTOR, PACTOR, PSK31, etc.); RTTY; Satellite; Amateur TV, and CW. These stations operate in the MF (1.8-2.0MHz), HF(3-30MHz), VHF (30-300MHZ), UHF (>300MHZ) bands and beyond. Other highlights include traffic handling, W1AW (ARRL HQ, Newington, CT) bulletin copying, experimenting, and serious contesting. Officially called an Event by the ARRL, it is widely regarded as a Contest by the greater ham community. While competitive contesting is a major aspect of USECA.s Field Day, having FUN is emphasized. Last year.s USECA station chairs have priority on their station this year, until the close of the May Meeting. After that, all unclaimed stations will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. When is FD? Always the fourth full weekend in June, this year it runs from Friday the 25nd through Sunday the 27th. Set-up begins at 1800 UTC Friday, with the contest beginning at 1800 UTC Saturday, finally concluding at 2100 UTC Sunday. Stations delaying set-up until 1800UTC Saturday may operate the full 27 hours of the contest. Others beginning setup 1800 UTC Friday may operate no more than 24 consecutive hours in the contest period. Once on-the-air FD operations begin, they must end 24 hours from that starting point. In Short, plan to spend most of the weekend at the site helping station set-up, operating, contact logging, and tear-down. The more hands we have for set-up and tear-down, the easier it is. Same thing goes for the Kitchen and Mess Tents. What is USECA.s Field Day like? Our Field Day is one of the biggest in the country. It is the major social event of the year for the club. It serves as a multipurpose event, providing an opportunity to expose the general public to amateur radio, the vital service we are able to perform in times of emergency, and the opportunity to learn new skills related to station set-up, operation, and tear-down, often under adverse, or emergency conditions. USECA.s FD is publicized in the local print- and broadcast media to alert the general public of the event and its locations. Informal tours are conducted by members, and questions answered regarding FD operations and ham radio in general, for non-ham visitors. As previously mentioned, we operate .Class A., (club-portable, battery, low-power, <5W), giving us a 5X point advantage to FD sites operating medium Power (up to 150W/ station), or high-power (>50W/station). Voice stations earn 5 pts for each contact, while DIGI, CW, or any other non-voice station earns 10 pts each. There are a lot of logistics involved in USECA.s FD: Tower Erection & Antenna installation; Station set-up and testing; Power; and Food. Under the capable leadership of Dennis, W8DFG (Da Food Guy), food prep and dining tents are set up and staffed for the weekend. Over a thousand individual meals will be prepared by W8DFG.s Kitchen Crew this year. Since there is no central source of power, many stations will be running either small AC Generators or LOTS of batteries, or a combination of both. In any case, safety is a key issue for every station.s electrical setup. Certified Electrical Inspector and USECA Member Phil W8IC, is available to make sure that everything electrical is safe for operation. Power sources vary considerably: Solar/battery, pure battery, Wind Power, and Fuel Cells. After consulting with Dan Henderson, N1ND from ARRL HQ, we will add a new power category: Bio-fuels. We determined that an engine-driven Generator, fueled by any source of bio-fuel, will be allowed to power radio gear during the contesting period provided that its fuel is purely biofuel, and not a bio-petro fuel blend. This means that sources like vegetable-oil, animal fat, old restaurant grease, or station-dispensed bio-diesel are allowed. We did not determine if this qualified for the 100pt extra for exotic power sources, but since Solar Photovoltaic Power will present, this is already covered. For everyone.s comfort, portable sanitary stations are located at strategic locations throughout the site, and signs placed to guide people in the dark at night. Where is USECA.s FD? Each year, fellow USECAn Jim, N8MCD, graciously hosts Field Day at his farm, just east of downtown Romeo, MI. If you.re coming from Sterling Hts., take Van Dyke Rd. North until it becomes M-53, continuing north to 30 Mile Rd. Turn east (right) and go ~½ mile to Powell Rd. Turn north and go about 800ft. to the entrance on the right. Kinda hard to miss- just look for the antenna farm. If you.re coming from the north, take M-53 south to 30 Mile Rd., and turn left. Directions are the same from there. West-siders should take either I-696 to Van Dyke north, or M-59 East to M-53, continuing north as previously mentioned. What should I bring? Plan to spend most, if not all of the weekend at the FD site. Accordingly, you should bring at least one change of clothes, and any creature comforts you may need, such as liquid refreshments, munchies, a cooler, etc. Anything radio is essential: your rig, a back-up rig, antenna tuner (if necessary), antenna(s), LOTS of batteries, antenna feedline, in-line Antenna Filters, guy wire, antenna masts, DC power wire, tool kits with various RF connectors/adapters, lights, and a laptop (for logging and DIGI stations). Other things include chairs, tenting/shelter, solar panels and any other exotic source of power. What should I NOT bring? Jim.s place is a farm, and farm animals are present (though not roaming in the contesting area). They should not be teased or bothered in any way. Treat them as if they were our own pets- being kind and gentle. Since the horses use the field year-round for grazing, no glass containers are allowed in the contesting area, as broken glass fragments can seriously injure them. Plastic containers or cans are preferred. Consumption of alcohol, if desired, should be done with discretion, as this is a family-friendly event. As of 07 MAY, we are at 11A, and climbing. Bill, N8SA will have more concrete numbers by the May meeting, Monday, 10 MAY 2010. We are looking forward to seeing you at the meeting, and also at USECA.s Field Day 2010. 73, de N8XO, Steve |