Category Archives: Feed Line

amateur radio, Antennas, Builders Group, Feed Line, License, Radio, Test Sessions

EclipseMob Radio – Builders Group

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This Saturday August 19, see you there!

amateur radio, Antennas, Builders Group, Feed Line, Radio, Test Sessions

First Field Day Event for LARC Member

LACERA writes:

This last weekend was my first ever ARRL Field Day. A wonderful experience I recommend any ham to take part in. I worked about 18 contacts on 80 and 40 meters solo then 60 more or so teamed with Jim Sipprell on 40 and 15 meters. You can really fly thru the contacts if teamed up with someone. I also learned I like the Icom 706MK a lot and plan to add one to my station as soon as I can. Great little radio. Working with the wonderful members of the LARC, I realized how important the companionship of others who share your joy of amateur radios is to this hobby and your immersion into it is. I have pledged to myself to become more active in the club and on the airways. Thank you everyone for a great day!

amateur radio, Antennas, Builders Group, Feed Line, Radio

Field Day

it’s sooner than you think, it’s not next month anymore, it’s here…less than a month till Field Day. Antennas, Operating, Logging, Eating (yes), Soldering, Programming, Learning, Advancing, just about anything you want it to be. Builders Group Education at

Field Day

amateur radio, Antennas, Feed Line, Radio

Field Day Primer

LARC Field Day is our premier annual operating event. Field Day 2017 is open to the general public.  This live training session prepares amateur radio operators to be able to set up and operate a station during less than ideal conditions in an emergency. It is also a contest with points and awards for contacting other participants. The contest encourages all to participate, while the experience gained pays off when a real emergency occurs.

With the  new and prospective amateur radio operators, an introduction to general operating procedures and the N3FJP software that we use to log contacts is in order. Training in operating procedures and just plain old FUN is the plan for LARC Field Day this year 2017.

LARC Field Day site will have several operating positions, each with a radio, antenna, power source and a logging computer. Our Field Day Captain will coordinate each position to operate on a specific band and mode to avoid interference with each other.

LARC leadership wants to encourage the general public and all licensed amateurs to come and get on the air.
Technician class licensees can also operate HF as General & Extra Class control operators will be at our Field Day site.

Each position is manned by a team of two, one does the operating and the other logs contacts on the computer. The team members can exchange roles and will appreciate occasional relief by other operators. To learn good communicating skills, observe a smooth operating team, then offer to help logging and/or operating.

Field Day Rules:  Read the full Field Day rules.  We may contact other stations once on phone, once on CW (Morse code) and once on one digital mode on each band. We must log the other station’s correct exchange information for the contact to be valid.  This includes the station call sign, the number of transmitters at the site and class of operation, and the ARRL section.

Our exchange information will be our number of transmitters (to be determined when we start), our class is Alpha (A for portable station with 100% emergency power), and our ARRL section is Tango November (Tennessee). For example, if we have 4 transmitters, our exchange would be “Four Alpha Tango November” on voice or “4A TN” on CW and digital modes.

 

Here is an example of a typical Field Day phone exchange:

  • W2IQ: “CQ Field Day, Whiskey two India Quebec, Field Day”
  • W1AW: “Whiskey One Alpha Whiskey”
  • W2IQ: “W1AW, Copy my Four Alpha Tango November”
  • W1AW: “QSL. Copy my Five Alpha, Connecticut”
  • W2IQ: “QSL, Thanks. This is W2IQ. Field Day.”

 

Here is a typical Field Day CW or digital exchange:

  • W2IQ: “CQ FD DE W2IQ W2IQ”
  • W1AW: “W1AW”
  • W2IQ: “W1AW DE W2IQ 4A 4A TN TN”
  • W1AW: “QSL 5A 5A CT CT”
  • W2IQ: “QSL TU W2IQ FD”

 

Learn and use the ITU phonetic alphabet when needed for clarity, and only ask for repeats of (or provide) information that was not copied correctly the first time. We would log the above contact exchange as “W1AW 5A CT”

Our software, the N3FJP ARRL Field Day Contest Log, networks the computers at all our positions, lists all the Field Day section multipliers (color coding those that have been worked), flags duplicate entries (contacts with stations on the same band and mode) and summarizes the activity for log submission. The Genesis ARC has posted this video tutorial of this software’s features. You will see how easy logging is when you see it at our Field Day.

Joining a Field Day event is a great way to get into operating a HF station with no stress and there are plenty of experienced people willing to help the beginner. It is fun, you get lots of fresh air and good food—with priority given to the operators.

73 and see you at LARC Field Day!

June the 24th and 25th 2017 @ The Boys and Girls Club on Hwy 92, Jefferson City, TN.

Email LARC thru the contact for for more info!