Lee KC1GKJ, Joe AC1LN, and Fred AB1OC got together today to configure our radios and loggers for 2022 Field Day and do a Field Day Test. We focused on the 80m/15m/10m station as it is the most complicated of our four planned stations at Field Day.
Field Day Station Setup – 80m/15m/10m
We also configured a second computer running N1MM+ for use with the 20m station. We used both PCs to check out log sharing,
Joe AC1LN and Lee KC1GKJ
which will be used at Field Day. Thanks to Joe and Lee for the great work to prepare NARS for Field Day 2022 and complete our Field Day Test.
On May 11, 2022, members of the Nashua Area Radio Society 2022 Field Day Tower and Antenna Teams met at BOB for a hands-on training exercise led by Fred AB1OC. BOB stands for Big Orange Box, the trailer that we use to store our gear. After obtaining approval from the facility where BOB is parked, we erected a 40-foot tower with a beam antenna and other peripherals to build our team’s skills prior to Field Day in June. We met there at 8:00 AM and began our day by removing all of the storage bins from the floor of the trailer to give us access to the tower sections, antennas, and other gear we need for the exercise.
Preparation
Plan Base Location
The next step was to identify a level spot for us to place the tilt base for the antenna that would also allow us to have room for the boom, derrick, winch, and guy lines. Our location for the training was compact but had enough room. In June our Field Day location has much more room, so this will not be an issue.
Prepare Base
Using the impact hammer to drive in 4-foot stakes to secure the base plate to the ground. The base is subjected to a lot of stress and strain during the lift so must be level and tightly secured to the ground.
Drive Rods with Impact HammerReady to Rig Falling Derrick
The team gathers around for a briefing on the next steps after assembling and installing the falling derrick pole and also setting the first section of the tower into the base.
Prepare to add tower sections
Once the falling derrick is fully configured with all guys and cables attached, we raise it to lower the first tower section so we can add the remaining sections to it while on the ground. Here as in other stages of the construction Fred is guiding us and monitoring our progress.
Bolt Tower Sections
Tower team members bolt together the tower sections securely.
Add cables and other peripherals
Prior to raising the tower, all of the peripherals need to be installed. Here is the cross beam that will hold 40-meter and 80-meter dipoles. The coax for the beam antenna and control cable for the rotator are secured to the tower as well.
Move Assembled Antenna to Tower
We orient the assembled beam antenna front down so when we raise the tower it is pointing in the proper direction. This is determined by how the tower is oriented and how the rotator is set prior to raising the tower.
Attach Antenna to Mast
We slip the U-bolts on the antenna onto the mast and tighten them. Next, we connect the coax to the antenna with a long enough loop to allow for it to rotate more than 360 degrees.
Raise the Tower
View the Hyperlapse above
Watching Rotator Test
The crew watches as we test the rotator and confirm that there is enough loop to rotate without any interference or binding. The test was successful and afterward, Fred AB1OC made a few DX calls to Europe QRP with an IC-705 radio. The beam worked great!
Disassembly and Storage
Prepare to Remove Antenna from Tower Mast
Around 2:30, after only 15 minutes of operating, we needed to reverse the process and disassemble the tower and antenna. Our target time for departing the facility was around 4:00 PM.
Remove Antenna from Tower
The Beam team removes the antenna and moves it for disassembly until Field Day. At the same time, the Tower team will break down the tower and peripherals.
Ready to Disassemble Antenna
We place a tarp under the antenna in case any small parts fall off. It is easier to find them from the tarp than from the tall grass. Working on it on the sawhorses makes it much easier to assemble or disassemble.
Breaking Down Tower Sections
The Tower Team breaks down the tower sections while carefully keeping track of everything so we can be sure we have what we need for Field Day at the end of June.
Gear Stowed and Ready to Leave After Successful Day
We are ready to leave after a successful day. Thanks to Fred AB1OC who guided us through the different activities. He helped us all to gain more information on how to perform this task safely and efficiently.
Field Day can be a complex project
Field Day provides clubs with a number of opportunities. The obvious are to have a chance for members to gather and operate together. Even though it is not a contest, per se, we do keep score. The event also provides a chance for members to participate in a complex group project. Some of us had experience with projects of similar complexity in our careers but others never did. Working together collaboratively on a project like this is a good basis for friendship and memories of the shared experience are long-lasting.
Building Skillsets in the Club
One of our goals as a club is to build a skill set within the club that persists as members move in and out of active participation in these activities. We have members this year who have years of past experience doing this and others for whom this is their first exposure to it. Members who were prime contributors a few years ago may no longer participate. After this Field Day, we will have a new core of experienced members who can handle these tasks and share their own experiences to mentor the new members who will follow them. We strive to build a culture that continues to promote the continued building of the required skills in the club to share with future members.
On March 15th 7 members of the Nashua Area Radio Society met at BOB to do an initial gear test and evaluation to begin our hands-on preparation for Field Day 2022. We were:
AC1LN Joe Luszcz
KB1RGB Rick Fulton
KC1FNF Peter Wolczko
KC1PEQ Hardy Hamilton
KC1PWB Alan Whitney
W1JDG John Ginsberg
AC1EV Jon Turner
Our goal for the day was to inspect the Tents, Beam antenna, and Tower components we will use in June for Field Day.
Layout of our tower
BOB is the name we have for our storage location for our gear. It stands for Big Orange Box. It is a retired UPS trailer that is parked on the grounds of a city public works facility, so is secure and secluded. Our first step is to remove the bins which are stacked on the floor of the trailer to give us access to the rest of the gear we want to evaluate.
We selected tower sections that were color-coded from previous years to layout and confirm they all fit together and that we had all the required fasteners, guy lines, straps, pulleys, cables, etc. When we are actually setting up Field Day it is done in a time-limited window, so chasing after missing parts is best done in advance, not on the day of the event. We are fortunate this year that all the components are stored in clearly labeled Bins and Ziplock bags and our dedicated Tower construction toolkit is complete.
Tower and Tents
Here is the tower with the segments press-fitted to confirm they all fit. This was done before we found the detailed instructions from previous years. You can see progress on the tents in the background.
First Tent
The first tent is assembled. There were no missing parts! Alan and Joe inspect their work. The first tent took longer to set up than the second and the third was even faster. Practice now will make the day of the event easier.
Second Tent
Peter and Hardy join in on the construction of the second tent and get a good lesson from Joe.
Tents and BOB
Our fourth tent is another brand, but not difficult to assemble. Tents will sit on tarps and have floors inside to support the tables and chairs that we’ll use during Field Day.
Tower Pre-Assembled
After we found and read the instructions, we re-assembled the tower parts in proper order and have the falling derrick installed along with the proper cabling and guys. We also confirmed we had the other required parts that are identified in the instructions. Given the shorter days and cooler temperatures in mid-March, we did not have time to evaluate the Beam antenna. We located the proper antenna and the dedicated toolkit for it, so we know where to begin when we return for more preparations. Sometime around 2:30, we decided it was time to pack everything up carefully and return it to the trailer. It took around an hour to tear down and pack up everything. I’m happy we had enough volunteers to make it easy.
Based on our experience this day we are scheduling another expedition to BOB on April 19th with a rain date of April 20th. This second trip is more ambitious. Our plan is to assemble the beam antenna and attach it to the tower and raise the whole assembly including additional dipoles and all coax and control wires required. Fred, AB1OC will guide us through the procedures so by the time we are going live on the day of Field Day we will have done this before. Some of us participated in past Field Days, and have experience with these tasks, but haven’t led the teams. In addition to confirming we aren’t missing any critical parts, and nothing is broken we will also have the experience of standing up this part of our station so can have experienced team leaders to manage our setup in June.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it is. It is also a lot of fun. Sharing this experience is a great way to build friendships along with complex radio stations. If you have any interest in joining us in this event, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. We will make sure you can be involved at whatever level you want and will share all our skills to make sure you can do it. We can turn “I don’t know how to do that” into “I didn’t know how to do that, but I do now”
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