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HAM Radio Field Day June 2016
- Thread starter Reptile
- Start date
cockpitbob
NES Member
Look up the clubs in your area. Just about all of them will be doing it. Any of them will love to have you stop by. They'll probably have a rig dedicated to being their GOTA station (get on the air). They'll get extra points for contacts made by non-hams and new hams. You'll learn more in a few hours at Field Day than in a month by yourself in your shack.
Google ARRL Field Day Locator to find ones near you.
Google ARRL Field Day Locator to find ones near you.
Field Day is June 25th-26th.
As I mentioned in the Community Service thread, there will be a Special Event station at the Greater Gardner Relay for Life. Starts this Friday at 6pm and runs for 24 hours. The event is held at Mount Wachusett Community College, and the operating position will be at the basketball courts just off the walking track.
-Matt
As I mentioned in the Community Service thread, there will be a Special Event station at the Greater Gardner Relay for Life. Starts this Friday at 6pm and runs for 24 hours. The event is held at Mount Wachusett Community College, and the operating position will be at the basketball courts just off the walking track.
-Matt
Both the MARA and CMARA clubs have field days planned.
I think CMARA (Paxton repeater) is holding their Field Day in late June. I'd point you to the web site, but they don't have it posted for some reason. They only talk about the 2015 Field Day. Will have to talk to the club secretary about that.
I think CMARA (Paxton repeater) is holding their Field Day in late June. I'd point you to the web site, but they don't have it posted for some reason. They only talk about the 2015 Field Day. Will have to talk to the club secretary about that.
cockpitbob
NES Member
Officially Field Day runs from Sat 6/25 2:00pm (east coast time) to Sun 6/26 5:00pm, but that's just the hours that contacts count towards the club's score. Many clubs start setting up Friday afternoon, continue setting up Saturday morning and then tear down after 5:00pm Sunday. Lots of clubs make it a picnic, barbeque and outdoor social.
It's kind of interesting to listen to 20meters on Saturday. At 1:30 things will be a little quiet, then you'll see a gigantic jump in activity starting at 2:00.
It's kind of interesting to listen to 20meters on Saturday. At 1:30 things will be a little quiet, then you'll see a gigantic jump in activity starting at 2:00.
JDL
NES Member
Sat 6/25 to Sun 6/26 Hampden County Radio Association Field Day School Street Park Agawam MA. This is a big event for the club. The HCRA is the local club in Hanpden County they meet on the first Friday of the month at the Holyoke Hospital.
Check out the web page WWW.HCRA.org Contact me. N1HM
Check out the web page WWW.HCRA.org Contact me. N1HM
JimO
NES Member
Here are a couple of links. The Eastern Mass section of the ARRL maintains a web page for EMA field day ops:
http://fd.ema.arrl.org/
And there is a national map done somewhere at ARRL HQ, which does have some western Mass locations:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator/
Good Luck!
http://fd.ema.arrl.org/
And there is a national map done somewhere at ARRL HQ, which does have some western Mass locations:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator/
Good Luck!
Congrats on the license!
Field Day is the weekend of 6/25. CMARA had to change their location this year. It will be in Oakham, MA. It is a recent change so I guess that is why no info is available yet on the web site. Also, it is private property so I don't think it can be open to the public. I am happy to have you as a guest if it is in your area. The next club meeting is next week, 6/16 @7pm in West Boylston. We will be reviewing the plans for the event.
Field Day is the weekend of 6/25. CMARA had to change their location this year. It will be in Oakham, MA. It is a recent change so I guess that is why no info is available yet on the web site. Also, it is private property so I don't think it can be open to the public. I am happy to have you as a guest if it is in your area. The next club meeting is next week, 6/16 @7pm in West Boylston. We will be reviewing the plans for the event.
CatSnoutSoup
NES Member
I missed the planning meeting (usually the only one I make it to each year ![[rolleyes]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/042.gif "Roll Eyes [rolleyes]")
), but unless I am mistaken the Montachusett Amateur Radio Assoc. (MARA) will be up at the summit of Mount Wachusett starting Friday the 24th for setup.
You can check in on W1GZ and request further info tomorrow (Sunday) at 9 AM on 145.450 MHz (PL 74.4).
), but unless I am mistaken the Montachusett Amateur Radio Assoc. (MARA) will be up at the summit of Mount Wachusett starting Friday the 24th for setup.You can check in on W1GZ and request further info tomorrow (Sunday) at 9 AM on 145.450 MHz (PL 74.4).
cockpitbob
NES Member
So, who's doing what this year?
The Gloucester club is focusing on fun this year. Usually they start setting up the 2 carports and 2-3 tents Friday night in a field. It's a big setup and a lot of work. One year a tent and a carport got blown 100yards across a field. Another year some gear got wet when winds opened a panel on a car port.
This year they are focusing on fun. They have their own clubhouse and are doing FD right there. It's not much of a test of emergency preparedness, but they've done FD outdoors so much they don't have a lot more to learn from that. It will also cost them FD contest points, but that's not a focus for the club. It's all about fun and operating. So, this year it will be a ham radio bbq party![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
.
The Gloucester club is focusing on fun this year. Usually they start setting up the 2 carports and 2-3 tents Friday night in a field. It's a big setup and a lot of work. One year a tent and a carport got blown 100yards across a field. Another year some gear got wet when winds opened a panel on a car port.
This year they are focusing on fun. They have their own clubhouse and are doing FD right there. It's not much of a test of emergency preparedness, but they've done FD outdoors so much they don't have a lot more to learn from that. It will also cost them FD contest points, but that's not a focus for the club. It's all about fun and operating. So, this year it will be a ham radio bbq party
.
JDL
NES Member
Hampden County Radio Association (HCRA) Saturday School St Park Agawam, MA This is off of River Rd. in Agawam 4:00pm Educational activity, 5:00pm Burgers and Dogs, 6:00pm VE session. I will be working the VE session. These are just some of the weekends activities. All are welcome. The test session on Saturday 6:00pm is an excellent opportunity for those of you that would like to upgrade.
MARA (Montechusett Amateur Radio Club) will be on top of Mt. Wachusett. They will have a GOTA (Get On The Air) station there a sell, so if you are not a ham but want to see what it is like, you can go and they will help you out.
cockpitbob
NES Member
I went to the Gloucester club and got some good instruction on FLdigi and digital modes. Bands really sucked and QSOs were hard to come by.
I was there all weekend. I did alright on 75 in the evening. I enjoyed setup up the most. I learned allot about putting up wire antennas-via bow and arrow, tennis ball cannon and the fishing weight method.
cockpitbob
NES Member
Oooo, tennis ball cannon. Must have been fun. I've never done that but my son's friend brought over his potato cannon yesterday. That was a blast (literally)
Indeed it was. And I now appreciate why people wear a glove when shooting a compound bow. It was the first time I ever used one - I nailed the shot but sacrified some skin in the process. I now anxiously await the fall. When the leaves come down, i will have a canopy of wire....
Was that you shooting over the trees and into the road coming up to the field?
I was with K1RAU in his truck. Looks like you guys had some issues with the bow and arrow method, but gotta imagine it was still fun!
It was. The first arrow (first one I ever shot) made it over the trees fine but stopped 20 feet above our head. We could not get it to go down any further. In pulling it back, the fishing line broke and the arrow was still hung up in the trees. Arrow #2 was on its way when we heard "plunk" and it was suddenly coming back towards us. Apparently we ran out of fishing line--it landed 5ft in front of us. Doh!. We then tried with twine but there was too much friction at the top. Definitely lots of laughs. Finally, arrow #1 came down on its own with 150' of fishing line still attached. We used that as a leader line and got it through. Getting the antenna 60-70ft up was helpful for getting the signal out.
cockpitbob
NES Member
Getting a line up does take some experience. I use a slingshot with fishing reel attached and 1oz fishing weight. I learned real quick to paint the weight day-glow orange. The line and gray weight are invisible. Every once in a while I get a snarl in the fishing line. When that happens the line often breaks and I watch my weight sail off into the sunset![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
. But when I have my $hit together, I can easily get a line over a 70' tree.
. But when I have my $hit together, I can easily get a line over a 70' tree.
Getting a line up does take some experience. I use a slingshot with fishing reel attached and 1oz fishing weight. I learned real quick to paint the weight day-glow orange. The line and gray weight are invisible. Every once in a while I get a snarl in the fishing line. When that happens the line often breaks and I watch my weight sail off into the sunset
Getting it up over the tree was easy. Getting it down, well...
cockpitbob
NES Member
Yup. BTDT. I once got a line over a 60' tree but the weight was dangling 25' above my head. It took me an hour to figure out how to pull it down that last bit, and I'm sure the neighbors thought I had gone crazy as I'm doing things like throwing a leaf rake up in the air for no visible reason.Getting it up over the tree was easy. Getting it down, well...
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
Yup. BTDT. I once got a line over a 60' tree but the weight was dangling 25' above my head. It took me an hour to figure out how to pull it down that last bit, and I'm sure the neighbors thought I had gone crazy as I'm doing things like throwing a leaf rake up in the air for no visible reason.
Ha. I wish we had a rake. I had added a rake and telescopic pole to my field day check list!
