FD '90
Rynn (KI5BC)
on
June 28, 2009
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My first Field Day was in 1989. I helped out on the 2-6 am shift with W3PC Mr. Brenner. He was my instructor at LeTourneau College. I was barely able to do 10 wpm, and he was a Morse code machine! I don’t know how I kept up running his dupe sheet. The club in Longview had travel trailers for this event. Very civilized.
In 1990, the college club, LARS, decided to do our own. Pete, our president, had some wild ideas. We had a helium balloon vertical, a full size yagi tied up between some loblolly pine trees, and a couple wires in the air. His dad designed a commode float vertical. We tossed that in a tree and prepared for huge pileups. For power, we found a WWII 1.5 KW generator in the old ATC barn. It took about a week, but the old engine was up and running. We tested it out with a little electric heater. We almost smoked the genset!
At about noon Saturday, we pulled up the yagi, launched the balloon, and strung our wires. We grabbed an old picnic table for an operating position. Someone brought a tarp for cover, and we were on the air!
About 2 hours in, we ran out of gas. It took a while, be we managed to refill the 10 gallon tank and restart the genset. That afternoon, a thunderstorm blew by, and we decided to haul in the nylon balloon. The wind was blowing it horizontal, about 20 feet off the ground and a good 150 feet away. One of the guys reached for the tuner, and wound up on the ground about 15 feet away! Wow! “Hey, that’s just like the Van de Graaff generator over in the physics lab!!!” (Pete knew all about them. He ‘borrowed’ one, ran it up, dropped his pen, bent over, and took a hit on the top of his head. It knocked him on his backside!) It took some welding gloves, insulated pliers and a milk crate to unplug the tuner.
Our support lines on the tarp started to break loose, so we tied it to the picnic table and supported it with our heads. After the storm blew through, we had light rain the rest of the night. I will never forget the sound of the rain sizzling on the exhaust of that old workhorse generator, the feel of rain slapping the tarp on my head, or the sound of 40 meters that night!
Looking back, I’m really surprised we lived through that experience. I’ve never been to a Field Day quite like that one. We were enthusiastic about the hobby, and didn’t know to quit just because of a little rain. I learned something from that experience. I like to have fun when I operate. We didn’t win any awards, but we had a ball! I will never forget FD90, and that’s what I like about amateur radio.
Thanks to W3PC, N3DNU, N5PMZ, and the rest of the gang.
http://www.letu.edu/student_life/_organizations/amateur_radio_club/History.htm
73 de KI5BC Rynn
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FD '90
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by WD9FUM on June 28, 2009
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Wouldn't be a complete FD without comprimising weather. We had some dandy t-storms roll through last night.
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RE: FD '90
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by W7COM on June 28, 2009
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WTF is a "commode float vertical?" I know what a floater is but have never seen one vertical.
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RE: FD '90
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by N4KC on June 28, 2009
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I think there should be bonus points awarded based on lightning strokes within 10 miles of a Field Day setup, wind speed on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and size of hailstones.
Hope all had a good time and injuries, bug bites and exposure to poison ivy were at a minimum.
Don Keith N4KC
www.donkeith.com
www.n4kc.com
www.n4kc.blogspot.com
(An open blog about rapid technological change and its
effect on society, media, and amateur radio)
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RE: FD '90
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by KI5BC on June 28, 2009
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Joe, I really can't tell you WHAT it was. He built a matching network in something that looked like a commode float. It had a wire coming out the top, and a coax connector out the bottom. We threw a line in the tree and hauled it up. I think it worked on 20 mtrs.... It was a conversation piece. I don't recall if we ever opened it up to look in it.
Everything was magic back then. All I knew was "RF gotta go somewhere!" That's my motto now. A bad radiator is better than no radiator. And light bulbs radiate. Worked a station during a lab class once with a light bulb. We were demonstrating power output on FM, AM, CW, and SSB. And this ham answers my test call. Weird. That's another reason I love radio. You just never know......
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FD '90
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by K1CJS on June 28, 2009
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Yeah, you might say 'those were the days', and you would be right! Today, everybody is concerned about safety, and although that is a good thing, you hardly ever see sights like those in past days anymore--or have the fun like in those days.
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RE: FD '90
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by N4JTE on June 28, 2009
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This is 2009, a field day in progress as we read, kinda wondering the immediate relevance of a 20 year ago experiance, must have missed something.
Bob
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RE: FD '90
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by N4LI on June 28, 2009
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Yup. 'Missed something.
The joy of Field Day isn't about the destination. It's about the journey. It's about radio at its most basic level, and for many, fellowship. To wax nostalgic about such things only shows that you did it right.
My FD this year was basic -- as basic as it gets. It was me, a battery, a small radio, a dipole, a backpack, and my bicycle. It was really hot, but I had a ball. I never planned to win awards; I just wanted to play radio.
Pictures available, BTW, at facebook.com/pbaskind
Hope all had fun and didn't sunburn too badly (I had a nice, shady spot).
Peter, N4LI
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RE: FD '90
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by G3LBS on June 29, 2009
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Reading the article from the URL given in the previous message reinforces how glad I am to be a 'member' of a 'club' of hospitable old buffers who meet in Olean NY Macdonalds every Saturday morning, with no committee, and particularly no treasurer, but where help is always available. Also to be a subscriber to eHam and read this thread on field day experiences, remembering my own being in 1956 in England having to be fetched home by my parents having been plied for the first time with beer and chips (french fries).
W2/G3LBS
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RE: FD '90
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by N0UY on June 29, 2009
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I think the article is very relevant 20 years later. It is definitely about the experience and the things learned in the process. The weather is always something to contend with.
I believe next year we are going to experiment with some sort of wind and solar energy. At least to supplement the computer battery requirements. If the wind should ever stop, I know a couple of operators that only show up when it’s time to operate that could easily replace the wind for a few hours anyway.
Ray
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RE: FD '90
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by W4VR on June 29, 2009
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All I can remember about field day is hot, muggy weather, and black flies and mosquitoes.
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FD '90
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by N9AOP on June 29, 2009
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I sure do remember all those field days with balky generators, army tents, burnt food, bug spray, yukon jack, and lots of fun. Field day is still a great time for contesting and fellowship. The accomidations are nicer and the food seems better and certainly the generators and equipment are better. Either that or I am getting older and don't notice the nasties as much.
Art
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RE: FD '90
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by N4JTE on June 29, 2009
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I apolgise to the author, my first inclination was that a current field day operator somehow got his article published in a timely matter during the field day in progress. I was hoping for a real time, up to date article on this years field day experience, my bad, will learn to read someday.
Bob
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RE: FD '90
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by PULLRAFTT on June 30, 2009
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RE: FD '90 Reply
by W7COM on June 28, 2009
"WTF is a "commode float vertical?" "
What does WTF mean?
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RE: FD '90
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by PULLRAFTT on June 30, 2009
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by N4JTE on June 28, 2009
"This is 2009, a field day in progress as we read, kinda wondering the immediate relevance of a 20 year ago experiance, must have missed something.
Bob"
The man is just relating a past experience with his first Field Day, Looks like you missed the POINT, that's what you missed. Geez....what a dope.
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RE: FD '90
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by G3LBS on June 30, 2009
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I think that the folklore of ham radio is worth preserving and appreciate the account of Field Days long ago.
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RE: FD '90
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by KI5BC on June 30, 2009
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Bob, not a problem. I take no offense whatsoever. I'm a bit sidlexci as well. Either that or I transpose stuff. Sure not.
Anyway. I was just thinking back to when I was new in the hobby. A little hindsight helps me keep my perspective. I don't like to work, I like to have fun. I make my work fun, I like my hobby to be fun, too.
Thanks for reading my post!!
de....Rynn
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RE: FD '90
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by N0FPE on July 1, 2009
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FD for me this year consisted of me, my FT-897, a big battery, my BuddiPole and the POOL!!! I operated off and on all 24 hours while sitting in a chair in my pool. outside temp was 105 days and 85 nights. I wonder if I could be classified Maritime portable??????
HA!!!!
NØFPE/MM in my pool
Dan
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RE: FD '90
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by K5END on July 3, 2009
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Rynn,
It is a small world.
I lived in Lubbock probably during the same time you did, and in Longview as well but likely before you went to college. Ever heard of KYKX, KFYO, KRUX (K102) or KPOS? Some LeTourneau students worked at KYKX. Those were my employers during that era. Some have no doubt changed call signs since. Anyway, like I said it's a small world but I don't think we ever met.
Are you planning on working the Texas QSO Party this September?
73
K5END
Larry
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RE: FD '90
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by KI5BC on July 5, 2009
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When I was a kid, they advertised "The End is Coming!" I thought they meant the end of the world!!!! It was a new radio station.... KEND.... I listened to KFYO from under the house when the tornado in 1970 blew it off the air. I still get goose bumps listening to "2001" theme song. That was playing on a commercial that night. Dad pulled up the access door into the crawlspace for us to take refuge in. KYKX on 105.7 blew KHCB 105.7 away up around Lufkin!! Super strong signal. I worked for KHCB in Houston for years. I listened to KYKX while a student. KPOS gave me wx info at a critical time stuck on the river bank near Justiceberg. They dropped that tower, and moved across the highway, btw.
I'll do my best to work the 'party'.... don't wait for that... my email is on QRZ....
Good to meet you. Good memories....
de...Rynn
King Item 5 Baker Charlie (at) ARRL (dot) net
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