Field Day 2013

It is hard not to be happy on Field Day, well once it gets started. Regardless of the number of Field Days that I and (My Driver Rhoda) have visited in our past, it is just a pleasure to see all the participation in all Counties PRE FD set-ups. The FD set up involved their newer and younger Hams going through their learning curve, teaching the what to do’s involving emergency communications. With a length of coax and a long piece of wire. I was pleased with Cherokee County and their training of new hams. Like it or not, the new dubbie will be the only thing that us older folks will be able to pass on. Haywood, goal of setting their FD up in public places, why? To the public attention to Amateur Radio, it attracts not only the Adults but our younger folks. Edneyville, has maybe the youngest ham in NC, less the 6 years of age! He not only passed the test but understands the meaning and purpose of Amateur Radio. Fletcher, I love visiting their FD at the Park. The park has a walking path and jogging path that goes past their FD set up, it is just hard to walk by without wondering what all those people are doing. The Club normal fields (pun) and answer lots of questions. They also encourage night time operators.

Review -  See Attachment

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KJ4GTK
Cherokee County NC ARES
5671 US 64 West
Murphy, NC
GOTA: YES
Talk-in: 146.460 MHz simplex
Contact: Jim Howard (W4SDJ)
828-644-8675
[email protected]
http://cherokee.ccares.us/

Arrived about 11:30 AM - Jim and I talked for a while about the set-up for Field Day and what their group was doing and what he thought their performance was excellent demonstration on how to put up antennas and the equipment needed to get them on the air. FD tent (large) incorporated their XYL’s yard sale with donations from some of the yard sale going to the ARES group, did this make people happy? Well my XYL left with a few items that she could not live without. This was their first Field Day. Jim and some of his group worked FD last year in Clay County. They have not formed a club but are an ARES group. A good out, they plan on doing Saturday only and plan to do it again next year.

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KW4P
Haywood County ARC
1620 Brown Avenue - Hazelwood
Waynesville, NC
GOTA: YES
Talk-in: 147.390+ tone 94.8
Contact: Ron Tingle
828-456-8246
[email protected]
http://wnchamradio.org/



Arrived around 2:30 P.M. – Antennas were up, and all stations were manned and busy.. All radios were manned and they appeared to be using lap top computers to record callsigns and information. I talked with Bill (KF4GUN), Ron, was due in but had a broken foot and was going to be late in arriving. This year they elected to set up in the Ingles parking lot as it was easy to get to for the public. They participate in the Blue Ridge Bike Break away. It is a real big event for the public, bicycle riders and the Haywood ARC Club. It takes twenty of their Club members to provide communications with this event. They are a 3A station working Saturday as well as Sunday.


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WA4TRS
The Road Show AR
149 Fire House Road
Edneyville, NC
GOTA: YES
Talk-in: 147.105
Contact: Jimmy Blair
828-423-3082
[email protected]
http://theroadshowarc.com/

The Road Show, new club

5:30 P.M. I saw lots of apple trees and lots of orchards in the Henderson County area.
Jimmy (EC) was not available, so I talked with Chester (KE4VXC), about the Club. They are in their 2nd year. The Edneyville Park is their 2nd Field Day site last year they held their Field Day in the city of Robbinsville in Cherokee County. I didn’t ask why they were called The Road Show ARC. They ask if we wanted anything to drink, I ask for water and this nice lady made this thirsty man and his wife happy with ice, cold water. Chet gave Rhoda and I a secret recipe for Whoopie pie. Talked for a hour had a great time meeting new hams but no bacon.

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Fletcher - W4YK
Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Club
Fletcher Community Park
Fletcher , NC
GOTA: no
Contact: Michael Parente
8288918970
[email protected]
http://radioclub.org/


7:10 P.M. arrived at Fletcher Park, talked with Michael (AI4GR) on problems that he is having with a new procedure for him contacting ARES members during their last drill. In the past he could call the EC of Counties that he needed they could assist in the drill. It appears that the Red Cross now wants him to call individual ARES members. Michael is the process of trying to solution this problem, and he may need help in the future. The first thing I noticed was I missed Duke (W4DK) by about 10 minutes. So Michael brought me up to speed on the Clubs plan for Field Day. They plan to run as a 3A station, generators. They planned to operator Saturday as well as Sunday. FD message was copied and sent by Duke with the NTS messages. Like all the other sites that I visit, when you are running any 1 transmitter or 3 transmitter  stations you must time when shut one operation down and bring the other station back online.  They are a real art to it.  Hats off to all FD location montoring this procedure.

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Well I thought the party was over. Headed home to Fairview, on Cane Creek Road still in Henderson County and what do I see?   Tents set up with antennas in the air.
Driver  U-turn and back to a possible Field Day site. I met and talked with Jason (WX4XW) and others from Tennessee.  Jason and a few of his friends were invited by a Ham who owned the property to use it for their FD site. A new location, a different State for their FD site. Tennessee folks hope that you had a good FD in North Carolina.

Until We Meet Again

Paul – KD4OZI
A.S.E.C. Western Branch

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