The Flying Pigs QRP Club, International

West Central Florida Chapter

Field Day 2003

Diz W8DIZ, Mac AF4PS, and I operated Field Day 2003 on the shore of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico at Fort DeSoto Park.  The beaches here were just rated as one of the top five beaches in the United States.  If you are ever in the Tampa Bay area it is worth a visit.

See Mac's report of activities here.

Mac and Diz surveying for antenna supports. Note thunderstorm in the background.

More surveying.  The wind was blowing up to 20 knots most of the day.  

Diz preparing to launch the water bottle 

with Teflon wire attached.

Diz in action.

Mac in the process of a direct hit.  Diz's attempt with the water bottle was a dismal failure :-)

Mac wondering how he was able to get the water bottle over the target limb on the first attempt.

Diz hooking up the twin lead to the MP+ Pig Rig's built in tuner.

Can you hear me now?

Ever see a strange man burying stuff in the park?

Mac and his Pac-12 vertical.  Florescent radials not included.

Diz on 40m with the dipole...Mac on 20m with the Pac-12.

Fishing peer off of the beach.  Note another thunderstorm moving across Tampa Bay.

One of the many large ships we saw.  Tampa Bay has two of Florida's 14 deep water seaports...

Port Manatee and Port of Tampa. 

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  A ship hit the old bridge in 1980 sending a greyhound bus into the bay and killing 35 people.

Today the remaining sections of the old bridge are state parks.

View of our operating site from the fishing pier.

Bait shop and snack bar on the pier.

Some of the locals.

Diz and Mac talking to some of the park visitors about amateur radio.  One of the kids had a morse code sheet off of a walkie-talkie. 

What happens when Diz picks a beach for Field Day.

The dog showers...

...Mac thinking about how much he loves dogs.

One of Mac's stations.

Mac's other station.

20m J-pole in the palm tree.

The 20m J-pole worked great!