Paul Toth, K2SEC and Dave Armbrust, AE4MR as representatives of the West Central Florida Section Committee visited twelve field day locations in eight counties (there was no field day in Hardee County) during field day 1999.  The purpose of this trip was to meet with as many amateur radio operates in the proposed West Central Florida Section and answer their questions about the proposal.   Paul and Dave were warmly received at each field day site! Tthe entire West Central Florida Section Committee are grateful for the warm reception.   

Their trip started about 10 AM on Saturday June 26th at 10:00 AM at the Sarasota Emergency Radio Club (WB4NJV) field day just outside of Sarasota.   They then visited the Charlotte Amateur Radio Society field day in Punta Gorda, the DeSoto Amateur Radio Club (W4MIN) field day site in downtown Arcadia, then the Highlands County Amateur Radio Club just outside of Sebring.  They visited two sites in Polk County:  the Polk Ham Club (W4TJM) in Bartow and the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club (K4LKL.)  The next county visited was Hillsborough County where they stopped by the Brandon Amateur Radio Society, the combined Tampa Amateur Radio Club/Tampa Bay Amateur Radio Society (W4DUG), and the Museum of Science and Industry Club in northeast Tampa (KM0SI.)   In Pinellas County they visited with the combined Clearwater Amateur Radio Society and St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club field day location in Largo (K4JMH) and the combined Metropolitan Repeater Association, Glorious Society of the Wormhole, and West Central Florida Scout Sertoma Radio Network on the grounds of Bay Pines Veterans Hospital.  The final stop before returning to Sarasota was the Manatee County Amateur Radio Club (K4GG) in Bradenton.   

They rode in Dave's car which has an APRS tracker (AE4MR-9) installed so other hams could see where they were as they drove from site to site.  Paul took numerous pictures during the weekend and transmitted them via slow-scan television to other field day sites and to other amateurs at their home stations.  

The SSTV pictures were transmitted through the KD4EFM repeater in Bartow on 444.775 MHz and the KD4UJO repeater in St. Petersburg on 444.325 MHz.   Thanks to Evans Mitchell (KD4EFM) and Jeff Nicholl (KD4UJO) for the use of their repeaters.

Field Day Pictures

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Page Last Updated: July 16, 1999