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Field Day Photos and Stories from 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

 

    Joe Tuscher - District ARES EC                                State Representative - Ken Horn                     911 Exec Director - Tom McIntyre
                                                                                                  Commissioner Ann Doyle

• Mike, N8XPS, GOTA station-62 QSO’s and 62 points
• Rick, KC8VOA, 6 meters-15 QSO’s and 15 points (Rick also gave us 100 bonus points by using solar power.)
• Steve, KD8FQL 10 meters-58 QSO’s and 62 points
• Lou, W8LPV, 15 meters-139 QSO’s and 249 points (Lou’s station was operated by   Emmett, W8EAB and Dave, WB8LZA)
• Bob, N8YXR, and Jenny, KC0RBV, 20 meters-175 QSO’s and 175 points
• Dave, N8ERL, 40 meters-243 QSO’s and 270 points
• Mike, KD8AUZ, 80 meters-122 QSO’s and 162 points

Totals submitted to the ARRL were:

• Total claimed QSO’s 168-CW, 13-digital, and 659-phone for a total of  840 QSO’s

• Total claimed Score-2,042 (1 point for phone, 2 for digital and CW with the total times 2 for 150 watts).

• Total bonus points were 1530

• Total claimed score was 3572

2009 Field Day Report from Dave , N8ERL 

Thanks to everyone for making this year’s FD a resounding success.  As in past years we had a fun, laid-back event with good times, good friends, good food and pretty good operating conditions. 

Joe, K8CQF, did roving CW this year making many contacts and Dave, WB8LZA, also made a lot of CW contacts. 

Jeff, KC8BDQ, and Judy,KC8BYI, did a superb job with the food again this year. 

We had 40 members and guests participate including Tom McIntyre, 911 Director; Representative Ken Horn, Commissioner Ann Doyle, and District 3 EC, Joe Tuscher. 

We also had a fine youth representation of which at least 4 made at least one QSO giving us 80 bonus points.

Field Day Observations by K8CQF
     Youngsters and young adults were in attendance at the 2009 Field Day exercise and actively participated in operating radios (besides actively playing in the playground and doing other things of interest to them.  There were at least two other children who were there, but did not actively participate (Mia McBride (age 5) and Adrian McBride (age 6),   The young adults were:  Rick Shattilly's 13 year old son.  Jeff Stange's daughter Amanda, 11 and her 12 year old friend,  Katlyn and 15 year old Kionna.  At 8 year's old, Drew McBride is believed to have set SVARA's world record as the youngest active operator in a Field Day exercise.  When asked to rank the Field Day on a scale of zero through 10 after all activities were completed, with 10 being "totally awesome, "the average ranking was "8" ... as in really great, I'd come back again.
     Three of the five children camped out overnight.  All operated with the exception of Rick's son in the Gotta station.  Rick's son may have operated, but not with me at the helm.  Mike Linton, N8XPS did a great job of getting the station up and operational and of working with the children.
     There were very interesting observations to be made regarding the participation of young people. Some of them were invited by individual station operators to help out in a station other than the Gotta station.  Steve did that with his 10 meter station and Drew McBride.  Drew worked about a half dozen states.  He was still talking about the experience in the tent at 2:30 in the morning.  Kionna, worked Alaska and was pretty thrilled.
     Amanda and her friend did a bang up job in the Gotta station and while I'm uncertain of the overall score; it appeared to me to be one of the highest I've seen recorded.  The girls were terrific operators and really went after stations.
     It was interesting to note the attitude of operators from around the country who were engaged in contacts by these young people. Many took time to assure the youngsters received the information to be exchanged in clear and slow speaking tones.  Several took time to ask the age of the G.O.T.A. operators and more than one really praised them for their voices and operating abilities.  My observation was that the youngsters were both surprised and delighted with the compliments.  By the way, SVARA's station operators made similar comments of encouragement and those words were heard by the youngsters.
     Also believe I saw a glint of competitiveness in the eyes of Amanda and other SVARA guests.  My bet is they'll come back next year or for some other activity and become surpass an already laudatory performance.  The youngsters also were able to observe social skills that were worth observing.  They saw the gracious introductions by Dave Schneider of visitors to the exercise.  They also were aware that some of these visitors hold important positions within the community.  Learning how to socialize, proper conduct and manners is important to each of us.  SVARA's representatives did a nice job of sharing their individual skills with the youngsters.
     There is no question my mind that the 2009 Field Day was a resounding success for the youth who participated.  My hat is off to everyone who made it the success it was.

73 de Joe K8CQF

2009 Photos from W8EAB

2009 Photos from W8HZF