W2CRA ~ Field Day

What is Field Day?

Well, it is the most labor intensive and at the same time the most most enjoyable activity that the Cherryville Repeater Association participates in all year. Participating in the annual ARRL Field Day is an important tradition for the Cherryville Repeater Association.

Technically, Field Day is an exercise in Emergency Communications sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL)  held each and every year on the 4th full weekend of June.  It is an opportunity for a club like Cherryville to practice its preparedness should an emergency communications need arise. From our "public" site on the grounds of the Hunterdon County Library, Route 12 just west of Flemington, we demonstrate how Amateur Radio operators are ready to provide communications under less than optimum conditions.  Field Day is a total club effort and all club members, regardless of experience or license class, are strongly encouraged to join in  the fun.   Like the annual hamfest, this event offers opportunities to participate in ways that are in line with your personal talents, skills, and time budget.  Each  year almost 50% of the Cherryville members help out in this team effort.

Officially, it's an "exercise".

Unofficially, it's a contest.  And we're in it to win.

Let's see... where to begin?

Field Day officially begins at 14:00 Friday afternoon.  At that time, setup may begin.  This is 24 hours prior to the actual "on air" portion of the exercise, which begins at 14:00 Saturday and runs for 24 hours, ending at 14:00 Sunday.  In this 24 hour setup period, all equipment must be put together.  Now, for some Field Day operations, this wouldn't be any problem at all, and actually it's not a problem for Cherryville, either.  To the uninitiated, it wouldn't seem like much time at all, considering we used to set up:
 

• 3 50 foot towers (for 40 meters, 20 meters and 15 meters)
• 2 40 foot towers (for 40 and 20, and 10 meters )
• 2 30 foot towers (for the GOTA station and the UHF/VHF station)
• 1 satellite "tower"
• Dipoles for 40, 75 and 80 meters
• monoband beams on 40, 20, 15, and 10
• triband beam for the novice station
• various other antennas for VHF, UHF, statellite, APRS, etc.
• 10 kw generator
• operating stations for all of the above (in tents and campers)
• a first class mess-hall, providing meals from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon
• a variety of ancillary equipment

For the last two years, we have opted for a different setup for Field Day. Namely, instead of several towers, we now string G5RV wire antennas and a couple other "non-tower" antennas. The operation is also now more oriented to getting as many operators participating rather than focusing on the "contest" aspect of FD. We're out to have fun operating, and relishing in the experience.

Cherryville has amassed a tractor trailer load of equipment  for this operation alone.  Really!  We own a 40' trailer that is filled with tower sections, beams, rope, signs, chairs ... all of the "stuff" needed to put on a first-in-its-class Field Day operation.  More on the first-in-its-class part later.

So on (usually) the last Friday morning in June, we borrow a tractor to haul our trailer to the Hunterdon County Library Complex, and at 14:00, the fun begins. The club has been doing this for so many years that it all works like a well-oiled machine.

The first thing to be erected are the tents over the mess-hall.  Getting these tents in place provides the critical shade needed in late June in New Jersey.   The soft-drinks are stashed in huge buckets of ice, and the work continues.

The truck is unloaded by groups of experienced club members mentoring new members or people who have never worked on a Field Day operation before.  There is an overall Field Day Chair, as well as a Field Day Logistics Chair to make sure that everything is completed accurately, efficiently, in accordance with the rules, and above all SAFELY.  Very little instruction is needed, though, as so many club members have done it all before.  Everyone has their own special job that they do every year.

Once the antennas are in place, it's time to have some supper - hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill, chips and pickles, and lots of soda.  Once the last remaining details are taken care of and the sensitive equipment locked into the trailer, the group calls it a night.

By 08:00 the next morning, people are hard at work.  All of the antennas are set up and connected, all of the operating stations are put together, all the laptops are booted up and the logging software tested, the generator is fired up and all stations tested on generated power. Somehow, by 14:00, it's all ready to go.  The hustle and bustle gives way to a quiet intensity, with a mixture of voices calling "CQ Field Day, CQ Field Day, this is Whiskey Two Charlie Romeo Alpha, Whiskey Two Charlie Romeo Alpha calling CQ Field Day" blending with soft but insistent morse code sending the same message.  Those not operating generally gather at the huge table under the tarp - the mess hall - for socializing, reminiscing about Field Days long gone or recently passed, planning upcoming Public Service Events, or just plain talking.

Dinner is a grand affair.  Charlie Kosman WB2NQV and his assistants Elaine and Ed Kita N3ODB and N3MSK put together a wonderful meal for the huge gang that gathers.  For the last two years, it's been roast beef dinner with potatos, gravy, mixed vegetables, fruit, and ice cream and home-made apple pie for dessert (Thanks, Elaine!).  Everyone has a great time, even if the operators "eat and run" to make sure no points are missed.  Most stations are fully manned during all meal breaks by any number of club members who turn out to help and get some "air time".

Hourly scores are gathered and tallied on the spreadsheet, and as the day melts into night, stragglers go home to sleep.  A good number of die-hards tough it out all night, though, and all of the "big" stations are operated all night long.  Coffee is constantly on hand, and a variety of late-night munchies help keep people satisfied and awake.

The cooks return at dawn, and by 07:00, breakfast is served ~ eggs any way you want them, including omelets, pancakes, bacon, toast, orange juice and more coffee ~ a delicious wakeup call!  Excitement starts to build as the hourly scores are continually tallied and compared with previous years.  Strategies are discussed and plans sometimes changed depending on band conditions and point tallies.

Before you know it, it's lunchtime and the Famous Road Kill Texas Chili is unveiled (does there seem to be a food-theme here?) We're not too sure what Charlie puts in it, but we also don't ask too many questions ~ we just eat it, and gain enough fuel to last the rest of the contest (no pun intended).

As 14:00 approaches, club members who are fit and rested begin gathering ~ a sight that is truly appreciated by those who have been working hard on little if any sleep for 36 hours or more.  As the bands go quiet, the club gathers around the mess hall to hear the final unofficial tally. There is little rest for the weary, though, and the work continues.   Everything that was put together the previous two days has to be taken apart.

Amazingly, everything is disassembled and put away and all the towers are lowered, broken down, and stored into the truck by 18:00.   Another Field Day is over, and the plans begin for next year . . . . .

 * For ten years, Cherryville was either first in its class (4A - designating 4 main transmitting stations using generated power) in the nation, or very close to it, as well as in the top 5 for all class designations in the country.  Our 1999 score was a club best effort, and we had entered a new class--5A (5 main transmitting stations using generator power).  Cherryville finished FIRST in 5A, well ahead of the second place station and set a new 5A record to boot. In 2000 we did even better! We entered the 6A (6 main transmitting stations using generator power) and set a new record here too! The weather couldn't have been better. APRS was running all weekend with several messages going to and from stations all over the country, and a short Amateur TV (fastscan) was demonstrated.

For more information about Cherryville's Field Day effort, please contact Cherryville Repeater Assoc..