Winter Field Days past has been great for NARS over the years. We’ve taken many different approaches to doing it.
About To Stand Up Out Tower
We’ve used our towers and yagi antennas at many Field Days in the past. Sometimes, it’s been pretty cold and raw when we’ve been putting all of our antenna gear up.
Portable Satellite Ground Station
I really enjoy making contacts using satellites in space and we’ve used some of the satellite ground station equipment that I have as part of several Winter Field Day operations.
Want to learn more about Field Day? Check out our Field Day page. Brian, W1XMM is putting together a Winter Field Day operation for NARS members. You can learn how to join in the fun with Brian and the gang here.
Nashua Area Radio Society is holding an in-person Field Day operation at Hudson Memorial School at the end of June. Here’s some more on our plans for Field Day 2023.
Stations and Antennas for Field Day 2023
We will be a 3A Station with the following radios available for members to use:
• 20m HF Station (All Mode, can do SSB Phone, CW, or FT8/FT4 Digital)
• 10m/40m HF Station (All Mode, can do SSB Phone, CW, or FT8/FT4 Digital)
• 15m/80m HF Station (All Mode, can do SSB Phone, CW, or FT8/FT4 Digital)
• 6m VHF Station (All Mode, can do SSB Phone, CW, or FT8/FT4 Digital)
Field Day 2023 Site Layout
Hudson Memorial School, Hudson, NH
FD 2023 Layout
Plans include a 40’ tower with a Triband Yagi and Wire Antennas to Cover 80m – 10m. We will also have a 6m – 5 element Yagi – antenna up around 20 feet.
6 meter yagi
There will be a training session on our Stations and other Field Day fun on Saturday, June 24th starting at 12:30 pm. Training will cover:
• Operating in any mode from out IC 7300 radios
• Using N1MM+ to log your QSOs
Field Day Operations will begin at 2 pm on Saturday, June 24th, and go for 24-hours ending at 2 pm on Sunday, June 25th. We will take down our station beginning at 2 pm on Sunday.
The spreadsheet on Google Sheets has time slots for each station and also tabs along the bottom with propagation predictions for each time window and bands that are open. You can use this feature to help you select a good time to operate and know which band will be best for that time.
Propagation tabs
Field Day Coaches
Field Day at the Nashua Area Radio Society is all about learning and trying new things. We encourage you to sign up to operate our stations and to learn about modes and bands you may not have experience with. In addition to our planned training, we will have Field Day Coaches available to help you get started and learn to use our Stations and have fun operating.
If you’d like to learn more about Amateur Radio, we’d like to invite you to visit us at Hudson Memorial School during Field Day. Noon into the evening on Saturday, June 24th, and Sunday morning, June 25th, up until 2 pm in the afternoon would be a great time to stop by. We’ll be happy to show you around our site, answer your questions, and even get you on the air a bit if you’d like. Also, if you have an HT, bring it and you can hunt our Foxes (hidden radio transmitters).
Logistics for Field Day
We will be operating on the athletic field at HMS. We have tents for shelter for our stations and gear and canopies for shelter from the sun or rain. There is ice, water, and other drinks to stay hydrated along with light snacks. A porta-potty is also available.
FD Tents
Though not required, we do encourage operators to bring their own IC-7300 compatible headsets or CW paddles with them and we can assist with setting them up.
If you have any questions about Field Day, please post them as part of this thread or email us at [email protected]. We hope that you’ll join us for Field Day!
Dan Pooler (AC1EN), a teacher at Hudson Memorial School in Hudson, NH, and a Nashua Area Radio Society member, worked with the school and other NARS members to present an exhibit to students and their families promoting HAM Radio and highlighting some of the activities of our club to them. Dan reported that “STEM Night at HMS was a big success.
HMS Steam Night
We had over 100 5-8th graders attend the HMS STEM Night, with over 400 people attending the event. Students and their families could watch SubZero Ice Cream demonstrate how they created ice cream, learn how pickles are made, program robots, shoot off Alka Selzer Rockets, make math art, and play games with family and friends along with visiting the NARS booth.”
Lining up for HAB Exhibit
Fred Kemmerer (AB1OC): shown here explaining aspects of our High-Altitude Balloon activities to some students. Anita Kemmerer (AB1QB), Mackenzie Pooler (KE1NZY), and Sam Hergenhahn (KC1PVZ) also participated at the event .
This big
Dan Pooler (on the left) at the High-Altitude Balloon exhibit.
Morse Code Exhibit
NARS Exhibits at Hudson Memorial School STEM Night
Our exhibits included:
A Fox Hunting display
A remote HF Radio Station, where students heard amateur radio operators from Australia, Greece, Lebanon and other countries.
An ISS /Satellite exhibit including a Raspberry-Pi based video of the HMS ISS contact video,
A Morse Code display with keys and practice exercises.
A High-Altitude Balloon display
Remote HF Radio Station
Special thanks and appreciation to NARS Vice President Jamey Finchum (AC1DC), who worked with Dan and the school to plan NARS’ participation in the event.. Thanks also to Fred (AB1OC) and Anita (AB1QB) Kemmerer, who graciously took the time to provide the displays and attend and share their love of the hobby with the students and their families.
HMS Principal Keith Bowen told me in an email after the event, “It was great having your group participate in our STEAM night. Students and families enjoyed their experiences.”
Hudson Memorial School will also be the location for NARS Summer Field Day 2023. Please check the forums on n1fd.org for updated info.
