Field Day 2023 Results

FARA Field Day 2023:

2023 was the first year since COVID that FARA operated in class 2A (two transmitters) during Field Day.  Thirty-four people signed in during the event.  A good-sized crew showed up at the club container on Friday to load and transport the gear to the school site.  Preliminary setup of the towers and related items was completed Friday.  Mike-KC1HKW, brought scaffolding and platforms to make installing the beams on the towers much easier and safer.  On Saturday, the towers were raised, coaxial cables run and stations setup.  Ralph, N1YHS brought the communications trailer from storage and set it up on-site.  Jim, "Killer Mouse Electric" provided the generators and propane. We were ready to go well before the 1400 start time on Saturday.

The traditional Saturday cookout was well attended.  Mike-KC1HKW organized the food and beverages for the entire weekend.  Jim, KC1KM, made his usual sausage and egg breakfast early Sunday morning with assistance from Charlie, K1CB.  Gene-KX1C, cooked on Saturday and the "leftovers" lunch on Sunday.

ARRL Section Manager Jon McCombie-N1ILZ and ARRL Eastern Division Director Fred Kemmerer-AB1OC visited on Friday.  FCTV visited the site and interviewed Chris-WA1CMR.  The interview will be posted on the FARA website when a copy is available.  State Representative Steve Xiarhos visited with a copy of the proclamation of Amateur Radio Day in Massachusetts.   

Mel-KC1ELB, Henry-K1WCC, George-K1GRH, Ralph-N1YHS, Patrick-KC1SBO, and Jeremy-WA1JRC operated the SSB station.  They made 621 SSB (voice) contacts working on 20 and 40 meters.  Greg-W1KM, Nelson-W1CN, and Tom-K1TH made 1,146 CW (Morse code) contacts working 15, 20, and 40 meters.  Larry-W1IZZ, made one satellite contact via the ISS.  Chris-WA1CMR, setup and manned the GOTA station.

Contacts were made in 48 of 50 states, 12 of 14 Canadian provinces, and 11 countries, including China, and one through the  ISS (space station).

FARA's Field Day score is a mixture of points for contacts, and bonus points for completing various items that promote or demonstrate amateur radio:

Contacts:

CW - 1,146 x 2 points per contact = 2,292 points

SSB - 621 x 1 point per contact = 621 points

Total contact points 2,913 x 2 (power multiplier) = 5,826 points

Bonus points = 1,150 points (includes 100 points for the satellite contact)

Claimed Score = 6,976 points 

This is good score for a 2A operation, particularly considering that we did not operate for the full 24 hour period.  Band conditions were also not optimal.

FARA Field Day 2023 was successful thanks to all of the volunteers who contributed their time, effort, and expertise.

Field Day 2024 is just around the corner.  Save the dates now, June 21-23, 2024. (always the 4th full weekend in June)

A few photos of Field Day 2023 are below.  Additional photos are in slideshow format on the bottom left of the website homepage.

 

	Loading gear from the club container
Tower setup with TH5 beam installed	Mel operating SSB
Greg operating CW	Jim and Charlie preparing Sunday breakfast

FARA Field Day long ago…… by Henry, K1WCC

 The Spark Gap

FARA Field Day long ago…… by Henry, K1WCC

Well, maybe it wasn’t so long ago but it seems like it. I joined FARA in 1994, and my first meeting was in June, just before Field Day. It was well attended and Field Day plans were discussed. I volunteered to help, having never participated in Field Day before. I did feel out of place, but had put up SWL antennas for years and wanted to see how it was done at FD.

Back in those days, FD was a major effort for FARA. Our operating site was the Fairgrounds parking area near where our CONEX box is now. The rules stated that you could not start setup until 2 PM Friday, and that included any antenna prep, etc. Equipment was stored in various locations, including at Shawn’s (N1HOQ) barn in Centerville. The two military towers we owned were buried in vegetation next to Saul’s (K1BI) garage in Waquoit and had to be dug out, loaded and transported to the site. Our deployment plan included both military towers as well as two Rohn 25 towers about 70 ft. tall that had to be assembly on site, and pulled up by the winch on Saul’s Blazer. John Reed, N1LNF was no spring chicken but he walked around barking out orders and getting the Rohns assembled and up in the air. Boy, could he work! Once the Rohn towers were up, tramlines were used to haul the antennas to the top. I can still see in my mind’s eye Geoff, KA1IOR at the top of a 70 ft. rope-guyed tower wresting the tribander in place. Once the towers were up, at least one of the station trailers would be on site, and a volunteer would spend the night to guard the site. In later years, I loved to do this, sleeping in a camping trailer and using my QRP radio with one of the big antennas.

The next morning, activity would begin early. The remaining station trailers would arrive and the station captains would begin to set them up for operation. Back then, FARA did not own any radios-the station captains supplied their own. We did use computers for logging-using the classic contest logger CT with each station using a desktop computer and big bulky monitor. Each station would have its own generator. We had a GOTA station that year-in a horse trailer! Plenty of room and plenty of bugs!

We had a tent set up at the side of the Field for information and food. As we do today, we had a large cookout late Saturday afternoon with families invited. After that, operators came and went all night. In the morning, there was a big coffee maker using some time on the generator to wake everyone up and leftovers from the cookout to provide a breakfast of sorts. Operating continued with kibitzers coming in to sit, talk and observe the operations. At 2 PM, operations were over, we turned off the generators, and began to disassemble the towers and antennas. The Rohns seemed to take forever, despite liberal amounts of WD-40 applied during initial assembly and innovative disassembly jacks. We often would not be finished until 7 or 7:30 PM. Everything had to be returned to it’s assigned location at various homes, barns and garages-we had no CONEX box. Saul, K1BI would assemble each stations’ score and submit them to the ARRL.

Since I was a newbie, I got to spend a lot of time in the horse trailer GOTA station. The Station captain was Bill Goranson, N1JTS. We had an old rig in there but---10 meters was wide open that night and Bill and I sat in there racking up a big score. During the hours I spent in there under Bill’s tutelage, I developed a taste for fast paced operating that is still with me.

Some of the people that were there in 1994 were Jim, WA1GPO, Saul, K1BI (sk), Mitch, WA1YKN (sk) Gene, KX1C, John, N1LNF (sk), Jo, N1LNE (sk) Geoff, KA1IOR, Ed Schwarm NX1V (sk) Kent, AI1W (sk), Don, N1JCT, Joe, N1KRT and others, some of whom are still FARA members.

FARA Field Day 2023

 

FARA FIELD DAY 2023

MORSE POND SCHOOL JONES ROAD, FALMOUTH

JUNE 23 (setup), JUNE 24 and 25

Field Day 2023 will be dedicated to Geoff Allsup, W1OH (sk)

The planning for FARA Field Day 2023 is underway. As always, we cannot do Field Day without help from many club members.

This year, we would like to run a 2A station as we did pre-pandemic. This means erecting 2 of our military towers. Station power will be supplied by Jim, KC1KM and his propane generator.

Setup will begin as usual by meeting at the club’s container off Currier Road in Falmouth, next to the cell tower. GPS coordinates are 41.615659, -70.538876.

We’ll meet there at 1 PM on Friday, June 23 and will need many hands to load the towers. We already have two trucks lined up but could use more, especially one with roof racks to load the beam antennas. We will then proceed to the Morse Pond School and begin setup. Setup will continue the next morning at 8:30 AM.

We will have the FARA comms trailer on site as an operating station and will also use the permanent on-site tents as a food shelter and rest area. A porta-john will be on site as usual.

We are planning for our usual Saturday evening cookout at 5 PM. Mike, KC1HKW and Gene, KX1C will plan and cook the food. We could use a few casserole, salad and dessert dishes. Please contact me at k1wcc@comcast.net and let me know if you can bring something. On Sunday morning, Jim, KC1KM and Charlie, K1CB will be cooking breakfast for members at 7 A.M.

Operating will be conducted from the trailer on-site. Greg, K1KM will be operating CW this time along with a few other club members. If you would like to schedule some phone operating, please let me know. We operate a 24 hour schedule. If you are interested in organizing a GOTA station on-site, please let me know.

Takedown is at 2 PM Sunday, when we lower the towers, disassemble the antennas and return all items to our container. This is a labor intensive activity so we need as many hams on hand as possible. We will again require at least two trucks for the towers and a vehicle with racks for the antennas.

Let’s hope for good weather, good bands and especially a SAFE and FUN Field Day!

Henry K1WCC

Contact:

phone 774-392-1158

k1wcc@comcast.net

#ARRLFD #FARA

FARA Supports 12th Annual Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride

On Friday, June 2, twenty Post-9/11 Warriors and their spouses or significant others took part in a rehabilitative bike ride on the Shining Sea Bike Path in Falmouth. This year’s ride, a couple’s ride, was focused on re-bonding the Warriors with their partner from home, rebuilding trust, healing and the emotional needs that have been affected by their service. The Warriors came in from all parts of the country.  (description courtesy Falmouth Military Support Group, https://www.fmsgrp.org/)

Falmouth Amateur Radio Association (FARA) provided communication support for this event. Net control was setup in the FARA communications trailer at the North Falmouth start of the ride. Ralph, N1YHS and Mel, KC1ELB acted as net controls. Eight other FARA members were stationed along Falmouth's Shining Seas Bike Path: Gene, KX1C; Jeremy, WA1JRC; Jay, WB4KYW; Randy, K1RCO; Harold, N1ZTV, Phil, KB1DOS; Henry, K1WCC; Larry, W1IZZ.

The course map, courtesy of Ralph, N1YHS, is shown below, along with a few photos of the riders arriving in Woods Hole. Henry took the opportunity to give his grandson some radio operating practice.

Thank you to all the FARA members who spent the day supporting this event.

#FARA #ARRL