Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club (SPARC)
2012 Field Day

The 2012 Field Day was held at Park View High School.
Pictures were taken by Dick, W2YE, John, KK4AHY, Eric, AJ4LN, and Gordon Miller, NQ4K.
Antenna Rope Hanging (22 June 2012)
Antenna hanging is a fine art.
A slingshot,
fishing reel, a sinker and a "dead-eye"
i.e., good eye, is all that is needed. 
The sinker is shot over the top of a
light pole and the fishing line is used
to pull up a rope.
The rope ultimately is used
to haul a wire antenna up
high into the sky.
Unfortunately, it rained and
the wind was blowing hard.
We cancelled and ran for home.

The field where we set up with the clouds in the sky.

Talking is what hams do well. Duane, K4UW; George, Kevin, W4KLS; Ray, KD4RSL; and Jim, KF4PQL.

Discussing the possibilities before it began to rain. George; Duane, K4UW; Kevin, W4KLS; Ray, KD4RSL; Don, K7CS; and Jim, KF4PQL.

Continuing our in-depth analysis.

Time to go. Don, KC4RCG, at his car.
Site Set-Up started at 0900 on 23 June 2011 and continued until 1400.

Don, K7CS, was one of the first to arrive. 

Starting to hang the antenna ropes from the light poles.

Continuing at another light pole.

Jim, KF4PQL, and Bill, KJ4VTH, supervising.

Putting up one of the QRM tents. Jim, AF4MO, standing in foreground.

Kevin, W4KLS, arriving for setup.

Still putting up the antenna ropes on another pole.

Russ, W3RST, has arrived with the club generator.

Its 0930 and a lot of stuff is showing up.

Putting up the CW tent.

Coordinating some more.

Don, K7CS, and Jim, KF4PQL, coordinate.

The SSB / GOTA tent is up. Russ,W3RST, in the foreground.

The CW tent is up. Don,KC4RCG, on the left.

Starting to put equipment in the SSB/GOTA tent.

Gordon, NQ4K, staying cool.

Don, KC4RCG, laying CAT5 cable to hook up the logging computers.

George, a visitor, and Dick, W2YE, putting up the antennas.

Russ, ,W3RST, and Jim, AF4MO, putting up a wire antenna.

Don, K7CS, working on a wire antenna.

Duane, K4UW, helping with an antenna.

Bill, AF4LL, holding an antenna hanging rope.

Gordon, NQ4K, and Don, K7CS, working on an antenna.

Tying off an antenna to a blocking sled. Ray, KD4RSL, (Blue shirt), John, KK4AHY, and Russ, W3RST, (on right).

Don,KC4RCG, and Jim, KR4PQL, assembling the 10M yagi.

Gordon, NQ4K, petting one of the many black dogs on the field.

10M yagi going up. From left, Jim, KF4PQL; George; and Don, KC4RCG.

1106 and time for a break in the shade of the QRM tents.  From left, Eric, AJ4LN, Duane, K4UW, and John, KK4AHY.

Dick, W2YE.

Bill, KJ4VTH.

Ray,  KD4RSL.

Russ, W3RST, preparing to shoot.

John, KK4AHY, shooting the last light pole.

Paul, K4PDF, and Chris, KK4HDG, ready to work.

Taking a break.

At the QRM tent, just before 1400 start.

Pulling up the HF yagi. Combined effort of several people.

George taking a break

John, KK4AHY, setting up the camera for the group photo.

Group photo at the end of setup and immediately prior to start of operations.
Don, KC4RCG; Bill, KJ4VTH; Gordon, NQ4K; Tom, WA2BCK; George; Bill, AF4LL; Gary, K4SRX; Dick, W2YE; Jim, KF4PQL. Duane, K4UW; Eric, AJ4LN; Don, K7CS; Bill, WF1L; Red, N3TG;  Chris, KK4HDG; and John, KK4AHY.
Operations started at 1400 on Saturday and will continue until 1400 on Sunday.

The GOTA/SSB Test in operation.

Visitors in the QRM test. Family of Russ, W3RST (in lower left) and Linda, K4LDT (in red shirt).

Visitors in the QRM test. Family of Russ, W3RST (upper right).

Bob, a visitor, takes a turn at the GOTA station, with spouse looking on.

Kevin, W4KLS, was for some digital action.

Cedric, WA2FTV, waiting his turn at the GOTA station. 

Ray, KD4RSL.

Russ, W3RST.

Mark, KI4OBT, with visitors.

John, KK4AHY, at the SSB station.

Chris, KK4HDG, at the GOTA station.

Tom, WA2BCK, Don, K7CS, and Duane, K4UW, in the CW tent.

Duane, K4UW, at a CW station.

Tom, WA2BCK, at a CW station with Don, K7CS in the background.

Don, K7CS, taking a break.

In 10M test. Jim, KF4PQL; Bill, AF4LL, and George.

Bill, AF4LL.

In 10M test. Jim, KF4PQL.

Several dogs on the field to keep away the birds.

Picture of the field day site. Two brown canopies on left at GOTA and SSB stations. Brown tent on right is CW tent. Blue canopies are QRM tents.

Chris, KK4HDG, and Cedric, WA2FTV, working the GOTA station.

Kevin, W4KLS, ready to operate.

GOTA Station and SSB station (on right).

Jim, AF4MO, waiting for his turn to operate.

Jim, KF4PQL.

Gordon, NQ4K, and Cedric, WA2FTV, at the GOTA station. 

The VHF van.

Ray,  KD4RSL, by the VHF van.

Jim, KF4PQL, at the 10M station.

Kevin, W4KLS, and Bill, AF4LL, at the digital station.

Marty, NV3H, and Jim, KF4PQL, at the 10M station. 

Don, K7CS, at a CW station.

Duane, K4UW, at a CW station.

Chris, KK4HDG, and Z, a visitor, at the GOTA station.

Chris, KK4HDG, Z (standing) and Tommy, a visitor, at the GOTA station.

Marty, NV3H, at the 10M station.

Testing the serviceability of the QRM test.

Eric, AJ4LN, at SSB station.

The publicity table.

Skip, KJ4LBB, at the SSB station.

Kevin, W4KLS, in the background at the digital station. Bill, AF4LL, in red shirt, and Jim, KF4PQL, at 10M station.


Don, KC4RCG, and Chris, KK4HDG, at GOTA station.

Duane, K4UW, at a CW station.

Red, N3TG, at the CW station.
Night operations. Most people have left for the comfort of their homes and sleep. The night operators stay on, strugging to stay awake, warm, and keeping up the QSO rate.

Sun is setting in the west.

Almost dark.

Its dark.

Red, N3TG, at the CW station.

Duane, K4UW, at CW station.

Chris, KK4HDG, and Eric, AJ4LN, at SSB station.

Jim, KF4PQL, and visitor in the ARM tent.

Bill, AF4LL, at the 10M station.

In the GOTA/SSB tent.

Some night visitors.

Bill, KJ4VTH, Joe, WB2SAI, and Jim, KF4PQL, at 10M station.

Don, KC4RCG, and Chris, KK4HDG, and a visitor at GOTA station.

Chris, KK4HDG, (on the left) showing a visitor how to operate the GOTA station.

Eric, AJ4LN.

Jim, AF4MO, at the SSB station.

Don, KC4RCG, at the GOTA station.

Bill, KJ4VTH, at the 10M station.

Don, K7CS, at the CW station.

Duane, K4UW, at the CW station.

Joe, WB2SAI (on right).

A visitor.

Park View High School looking east just before sun rise.

The sun rises over Park View High School.

The sun casting some long shadows in the early morning.
Morning does come. It is still lonely at first, then people start showing up and the activity increases.

The sun is up and a few people are starting to arrive to relieve the night owls.

Mark, KI4OBT, at the SSB station.

Marty, NV3H, working the SSB station.

Don, K7CS, catching a few Z's after being up all night at the CW station.

Joe, WB2SAI, at the GOTA station.

Ray,  KD4RSL, in the VHF van.

Waiting for operating time in the QRM test.

Jon, KK4AHY.

Tom, WA2BCK.

Chris, KK4HDG, running at the GOTA station.

Jim, N3JT, a guest operator, at a CW station.

John, N3AM, a guest operator, at a CW station.

Russ, W3RST, Jim, KF4PQL, and Jim, AF4MO.

Duane, K4UW,and Paul, K4PDF.

Dick, W2YE.

Gordon, NQ4K.

Evelyn, a visitor, working the GOTA station.

Joe, WB2SAI, on the radio, while Russ, W3RST, starts to pack up.
Finally it is over. It is 1400, operations cease, and tear down begins.

Taking down the yagi. Paul, K4PDE, Don, K7CS, and Jim, KF4PQL.

Stuff is coming out of the tents.

More stuff. Tents almost empty.

Almost empty.

CW tent looks empty.

Stuff is piling up by the cars.

Stuff is really piling up.

Looks like one tent is down (on ground on the left) with one to go.

Folding up the CW tent.

Putting stuff in cars.

Putting more stuff in cars.

Car of Gordon, NQ4K, looking full.

Don, KC4RCG.

Almost ready to go. George, Duane, K4UW, and Bill, KJ4VTH.

Skip, KJ4LBB, and Mark, KI4OBT.

Jim, KF4PQL, (on left) and George (on right) watching Don, K7CS, loading his car.

Don, K7CS, in red shirt is loading the last of the equipment onto his car. Don is usually the last to finish loading.

A side view of the generator.

The generator is ready to roll out.
 
Leaving behind and clean and empty field day site.

Jim, KF4PQL, is the last to leave and locks the gates to the field on the way out.



Made on 8 July 2012.