2022 Recap

Even though it was hot out, and there were a few challenging equipment glitches that made field day such a good test of radio readiness, it was a truly enjoyable weekend overall, and hundreds of contacts were made.

Our preliminary total score for our club’s field day weekend was 2,824. Look for our final score, and any aggregated member scores, in the December 2022 issue of QST. 

Special thanks go out to our main operators who sat for hours on end in the heat making contacts and answering visitor questions. We also thank our guest operators who helped make even more contacts, many of them overnight.  

Core Stations
Glenn  WA3LAB – CW station
Ben  KE3KQ and Ben  KB3SJQ – phone station
Tom  K3TWL – phone station
Ed  N3WXW – GOTA station 

Additional Operators
Ed  K3BVQ – Radiogram (CW)
Mike  KB3OZD – phone
Mitch  W9HZ – CW 
Robbie  KB3WFQ – SAT, CW, phone, DIGI
Rohit  KC3NQD – phone
Ed  N3DJH – phone
Nate  N2ADD – phone
John KB3KWJ – phone

Radio and refreshments are the best combo, and we are so thankful to Tom and Joann Laudadio, Ben and Melody Bowers, and John DeSantis for keeping everyone fed and hydrated! We’re also grateful to everyone else who brought goodies to share!  

Per ARRL Field Day rules we will begin operations at 2:00 pm on Saturday. We will likely be breaking down on Sunday at noon. The best time for our members to stop by to visit, or to operate, is Saturday afternoon or evening and Sunday morning. We will have refreshments.

• W3U – Whiskey-Three-United is the callsign we have applied for for Field Day use.
• Our classification is 4A, and we will use commercial power.
• K3ZMC is the call for the GOTA station which will operate on Sat. during limited hours. This is for the use of those new to the hobby or haven’t been active in awhile.

The following members will have stations:

• Ben, KE3KQ
• Tom, K3TWL
• Glenn, WA3LAB (CW only)
• Ron, WA8YIH
• Ed, N3WXW (GOTA, limited Sat. hours)
• Robbie, KB3WFQ (SAT VHF)

2018 RESULTS
Callsign: W3U     GOTA Station: K3ZMC     ARRL/RAC Section: EPA     Class: 4A
Participants: 34      Total Bonus Points:  670
Score Summary:
CW  Digital  Phone  Total
Total QSOs    601     18    1131
Total Points   1202    36    1131   2369   Claimed Score = 4,738

• #1 for 4AC (4 transmitters, commerical power)
• #6  EPA
• #19 Atlantic Divison
• #188 overall

2 Year Comparison
2017 – 3A, contacts 1160, total score 4,294
2018 – 4A, contacts 1750  total score 5408

After years of generously giving his time and efforts to coordinate club Field Days, Ed McCoy, N3WXW retired as our events chairman in 2017.  Ben KE3KQ took on the effort to coordinate a small group of volunteers to make Field Day happen in 2018.  A small team came together: Ben, Tom, K3TWL, Leonard WV3P, Alex KA2VLP, Jerry K3BZ, Glenn WA2LAB, and Ben K3BJT.  We needed a GOTA coach, and Bill KA3RMM asked RC KC3HRV to take this on, which he generously did. In the end the team wasn’t so small after all!      

Field Day in the great outdoors is always a trying exercise in skill, patience, and sleep deprivation. This year was no different. 

We were lucky to be welcomed to Welkinweir, a nature preserve, part of Green Valleys Watershed Assoc.  Ben, KE3KQ pulled a rabbit out of a magic(band) hat earlier this year when he secured this location for us.  Welkinweir has everything—shelter, fields, lots of tall trees, a large parking lot, a flushable porta-potty, hot and cold running water, a large pavilion picnic tables and power outlets with an added bonus: a beautiful view of the pond.  Welkinweir scores five stars for ambiance and amenities.  

Putting together a successful Field Day is like planning a visit to that new smorgasbord spot with a group of friends —not every dish may be delicious, your ribeye may be overcooked, but if the company, ambiance, food and service is satisfying, you’ll return home full, content, and will probably pass out on the sofa from exhaustion.  Field Day is that smorgasbord surprise. You never know what items on the menu will delight or offend.  For us, the offensive part was getting soaked to the bone putting up antennas in pouring rain. Also difficult is the menu of decisions and challenges: Which is the perfect table to set up a station? How to deal with the RF interference in close quarters? Where is the missing bin full of needed parts? Brother can you spare a dummy load?  Yes, Field Day is full of many uncontrollables and unknowns. Lessons are always learned.  Thankfully this year many of our operators enjoyed a feast of contacts. It helped that we were stocked with a variety of snacks and beverages to keep us going. RC KC3HRV donated the real sustenance in the form of grilled cheese burgers and hot dogs with fixins’ extraordinaire! The grill was fired up multiple times. No one left hungry. Most everyone had a good time. Thanks again, RC, and to all who brought goodies, who cooked, or shared a meal with us!  

HIGHLIGHTS

• We were W3U, 4A, EPA 
• We had a total of 34 people come to the site, including operators, helpers, and visitors. 
• Ben Trave K3BJT generously offered to store our FD equipment, and that meant assisting with everything. He is also quite the grillmaster. Thanks, Ben!  
• Ben KB3SJQ broke his personal record from last yr. with over 500 contacts. Way to go! 
• PAARC Prez Ed K3BVQ worked the CW station into the wee hours of the night with Mike KB3OZD. 
• Ed N3WXW, Jerry K3BZ, and Wes N3HWH worked on antennas and equipment support.
• Steve K3ALV came to help and brought Irv AF3IF for moral support.    
• Fred Van Ryn, KB3YAY logged some calls with Tom K3TWL. 
• Robby Meade, WB3WFQ has been visiting PAARC field days since he was (I think) about 12. He’s 19 now and at PSU going for an EE degree. Where did the time go?  Welcome back, Robby!
• Special Visitors: Walt WD8MNE, Mitch W9HZ, Mich K8IU, Joe AA3DF, Rob N3KAL, Gary KC3KGG, Jim KB3CYP, Bob K3DBD, and John K3AFU who brought his son, our youngest visitor at 6 yrs. old. (Hope I didn’t miss anyone.)

K3ZMC GOTA Station
RC KC3HRV did an outstanding job assisting visitors to make contacts with enthusiasm, dedication, patience, and helpfulness. Thank you RC! You were amazing! 

GOTA Visitors
– Stephen, age 15, needed 5 contacts for the Boy Scout Merit Badge. He got them, and returned on Sun. for more radio time. (He and his family, the Knickerbocker’s, joined us last year too. His grandfather, Guy, brought his KX2 to test on Sun.)
– Harry, a visitor with an expired license, was keen to get on the air again. He enjoyed his time with us.
– Other visitors were perched over RC’s shoulder watching and learning.  

FD QSO’s  – initial results, some dupes likely
100  6M VHF – Alex KA2VLP, assisted by Leonard WV3P
107 GOTA – RC KC3HRV – Yaesu FT-891, backpack rig
600 CW – Glenn WA2LAB, Ed AB3AH (night shift 400 contacts), Leonard WV3P – Yaesu FT 990
300 K3TWL multi-bands and PSK-31 (20 contacts) – Yaesu FT-450D
641 KB3SJQ & KE3KQ – Tentec Omni C and Tentec Eagle
1,748   QSO’s  (Bonus points TBD) 

We’re grateful so many members and guests joined us!  For those of you who played radio at home, we’re glad you got on the air. We heard that Bill WF3M made over 175 CW QSO’s. Nice!