Another busy month. There are always so few summer weekends.
Field Day was another blast, with just enough rain to make it an official field day. As usual the computers caused much consternation, making me nostalgic for dupe sheets and log forms with mosquito splotches and coffee rings… well maybe not so much.
I missed having VE3KL there to offer advice on antenna arrangement and fondly remember George, VE3BNO in previous field days through thick and thin. As usual with the Corkery site, the operating conditions were great. Unlike last year the generator didn’t puke. (it turned out that last year the oil level float -sank-). The generator got a good work out after the storm in May, but then again, last year it was working just before it went to the party, so one never knows. That’s why the rule is “everybody brings everything”. You never know when you will need the spare gadget in someone’s trunk. The antennas went up with relatively little difficulty.
That said, a field constructed tri-band vertical went up OK, but decided to “relax” on Sunday. Conditions being what they were, it still got out. Just goes to show you (again) that it is better to put up anything and try it than to sit around and moan about your antenna limitations. You may not get DXCC in a weekend, but you will get something.
As usual, hot on the heels of Field Day was the RAC Canada Day contest. The bands were in good shape and yet more sleep was lost. Same for the IARU HF. Like I said about summer weekends.
After a few quick email swaps with a ham I met at Field Day we were off on a quick road trip to check out a lighthouse for the upcoming International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW). It has been a while since I operated from a vehicle where the rig belonged to, and was set up by someone else. Good thing we did the recon trip a month before the event. The antenna, a 3/8-wave vertical on 20 m seemed to work OK, with Spanish station coming back. Next time it will be better, and with any luck there will be more stations on the air than there were mid-week, midday. I’ll let you know next time.
An exam or two got fitted into the calendar, and we have some new hams to share the fun with.
The coming month has a bunch of things on the domestic calendar, so I don’t know what I will have to say, but I as I’m writing this, VE3OCE is full of discussion about a Parks on the Air thing this weekend. On the same weekend is a VHF contest.
73
Stay tooned
mk
VE3FFK
Last Updated on 2022-11-13 by AdminOARC