Field Day Wrap Up

Al Simons, WA1TYB Almost Ex-NARC Incident Commander and Stuckee

It seemed like everyone was having a good time anyway. In addition to the rain, we had the other things one needs for a NARC Field Day: good friends, good food and lots of contacts! Every year, there are two different Field Days: an emergency preparedness drill, and operating contest. People who came for either aspect of Field Day have something to feel good about.

This year saw new club QSO records for CW stations on 6, 10, 20 and 40 meters, and phone stations on 20m, 440MHz, 1.2GHz and Novices. Many other stations posted their second highest score ever. For a station by station list of the QSO counts, see page 5. I don’t want to speculate because of Murphy, but this year’s score is higher than last year’s winning score… if you want to speculate what that may or may not mean, feel free! This year’s score, 21756, is the highest ever for our club!

With almost 100 people involved this year I won’t attempt to thank you all by name, but I do want to make sure that you know that I thank you each for your efforts in making this a successful, i.e., fun, year. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes! I would have never believed it before taking on the coordinator role. Thank you all.

Two people have to be thanked individually, though. To Buzz KA1OMJ, our thanks for allowing us to use your property again. And to Jim N1NH, thanks for the use of your wonderful “Number One New Hampshire” call yet again.

We also owe thanks to Icom for the loan of two IC775 radios used in 20SSB and 80CW, and to HyGain for the donation of the two 4 element antennas used on 20SSB. And thanks to Chris KA1SIE, for arranging both!

One of the high points for me was seeing many new faces at the site—some visiting, some operating and some in the much needed and often overlooked support roles. Welcome to all of you first and second timers! We hope you enjoyed it and come back next year, and also that you will participate in the other club activities through the year. We also saw several old faces… Let me try again… We had three members of the club rejoin us after a long absence from Field Day. Vic K1JUL ran 40 phone and Bill and Dot, WB1BRE and KA1LDS, came too with Bill running satellite. It was good to see all of you again! Together with Don W1GUU, our commuting contingent is getting quite large.

As always, there is some lost or found equipment. Sometimes, there is even lost and found equipment. If you have either lost or found equipment, please let me know. I’ll try to be the clearinghouse to make sure it gets back to the appropriate owner. A cautionary note. An activity the scale of the NARC Field Day can only be accomplished because of the level of trust between club members and between the club and friends of the club. Club members and friends loan incredible amounts of equipment to allow us to run twenty or so stations. I have noticed an increase in the reports of damage to equipment, both radios and shelters. It is not yet at a crisis point, but I would be remiss if I did not remind all of us to be exceptionally careful with the borrowed equipment. If we start to have a significant level of damage to equipment, the NARC Field Day as we know it will soon be a thing of the past.

As you know this was my last Field Day as “Incident Commander and Stuckee”. Murphy will probably get me for saying this, but I enjoyed it. And I will enjoy working in the background next year under the able leadership of Fletch N1MEO! As I have said many times before, this is the club’s Field Day, not any one person’s. The IC&S is only the coordinator; by the time the fourth weekend in June rolls around, his/her job is almost done. I know that I was the beneficiary of your cooperation and goodwill for these three years, and I trust that you will give Fletch the same assistance.

73, and see you at next year’s Planning meetings! - Al, WA1TYB

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