Summer Field Day 2021 is coming!

[Fred Kemmerer]

The Nashua Area Radio Society will hold its 2021 Summer Field Day operation at Keyes Memorial Park in Milford, NH. The open-air Pavillion at Keyes provides for proper social distancing during Field Day. Field Day will be held on Friday, June 25th through Sunday, June 27th. All NARS members are invited to participate!

Summer Field Day 2021 Site Plan

We are planing a 4A operation with a Tower, Triband Yagi for 20m/15m/10m, Wire Antennas for 80m and 40m, a 3 element LFA Yagi for 6m, and a Computer-Controlled Satellite Ground Station. Our stations will all be configured for SSB Phone, CW, and FT8/FT4 digital operation as follows:

• 20m All-Mode Station (I-7300)
• 40m All-Mode Station (IC-7300)
• 80m/15m/10m All-Mode Station (IC-7300)
• 6m All-Mode Station (IC-7300)
• Satellite Ground Station (2m/70cm – IC-9700)

We will also have 2m/70cm repeater capability for our Messaging Activity and for Talk-in. Other planned activities include Fox Hunting, and Training on Antennas, Radio Direction Finding, and Satellites.

The first choice for signup for the best-operating timeslots will be given to folks who participate in the setup/takedown teams and to youth operators 18 years old or younger and their teachers. Our setup/takedown teams (so far) are as follows:

Transport (Jon, AC1EV Leader)

• Rick, KB1RGB
• Fred, AB1OC
• Jeff, AC1FX
• Peter, KC1FNF
• Jeffery, KC1LCT

Tower Team (Fred, AB1OC Leader)

• Jamey, AC1DC
• Abby, AB1BY
• Rick, KB1RGB
• Vince, KD2TMJ
• Peter, KC1FNF
• Ryan, KC1MAJ
• Brian, W1XMM

Yagi Antennas (Jeff, AC1FX Leader)

• Aron, W1AKI
• Anthony, KC1DXL
• Mike, KC1NGS
• Jim, K1BRM
• Dave, KB1JCU

Stations and Power (Anita, AB1QB Leader)

• Jon, AC1EV
• Connor, KC1FFX
• Jack, WM0G
• Jeffery, KC1LWE

We will also have Teams to handle Emergency Messaging and Fox Hunting at Field Day as follows:

Emergency Messaging (Aron, W1AKI and Sterling, AK1K Leaders)

• E-mail us at [email protected] to sign up.

Fox Hunting (Abby, AB1BY Leader)

• E-mail us at [email protected] if interested in Fox Hunting at Field Day

We can use additional folks on all of the setup/takedown teams. Please contact us via email at [email protected] if you’d like to sign up to help with setup and takedown.

If you would like to help but are new to these activities don’t worry – we will train you. The same thing goes for when it comes time to pick and use your operating time.

Remember, folks who sign up to help with setup and takedown will get first pick among the best operating times during Field day.

We will hold two Tech Night Sessions to help everyone to prepare for Field day:

• May Tech Night – Using the N1MM+ Logger at Field Day
• June Tech Night – All About Field Day Setup and Operating

We will share more about Field Day 2021 as we get closer to June. See you at Field Day!

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Fred, you have the field day date as April on the home screen. I think you mean June?

[Aron Insinga]

I’ve never really worked 6m very much, so I’m really looking forward to trying it out on Field Day.  I will also take a little time helping to assemble the beam antennas in case I want to set one up for 6m at home.  (6m antennas take up a lot less room than those for the longer wavelengths/lower frequencies, so a 6m atennna should fit into my back yard, and 6m propagation will get more and more interesting now that the solar cycle is heading upwards.)  Plus, this year’s Field Day layout, adjusted to be more suitable for the tail end of the pandemic, won’t entail all of that walking across the field and back to visit the different stations each in its own little tent: all of the stations will be nearby under the pavilion where we can see how they are used (while still maintaining a safe distance and getting good ventilation).

[Fred Kemmerer]

TU Mike, yes I did mean June. I’ve corrected the post.

[Fred Kemmerer]

Hi Aron,

6m is a lot of fun because of its unpredictability. There are several different propagation modes that are common on 6m include E-Skip (Es), Auroral Meteor Scatter, TEP, and sometimes even F-layer.

Also, as you mention, getting a directional antenna up for 6m is not that difficult. The antennas are smaller than HF and they do not need to be up as high to work well.

Digital modes like FT8, Q65, and MSK144 have opened the 6m band to lots of folks who were not on the band previously. As a result, there is more 6m activity than ever before.

Field Day is a good time for 6m as late June is a perfect time for some of the best Es propagation of the year. We made over 140 contacts on 6m during 2019 Field Day.

It should be fun and you’ll definitely have a chance to learn how to put a 6m station together.

[Peter Wolczko]

Fred,

I have a Ford Ranger pick-up, and am volunteering my services. Just point me in the right direction.

Also, what are we doing about food?

73,

Peter    KC1FNF

[Fred Kemmerer]

Hello Peter,

Thank you! You’re on the Transport team. Would you also be willing to help put up and take down the tower as part of the Tower Team?

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

I have a pick up and can help with tranportation.

I noticed that the “Our Activities -> Field Day” page does not have the 2021 field day information. Would it be good to have the announcement there?

[Fred Kemmerer]

Hello Jeffery,

Great! We’ll add you to the Transportation Team! Thank you!

[Fred Kemmerer]

Hi Jeffery,

We’ll be setting up on Friday. Would you be interested in joining the Station Setup team that will be putting our station together once we get to Milford on Friday?

[Author]

Posts