What has happened?
Here it is, half past summer already. Where did it go? Since my last report, at least two happenings happened – Field Day and Canada Day, which by a quirk of the calendar this year didn’t happen within a few days of each other for once.
Field Day
I will leave YTZ to describe the numbers from Field Day. It was, once again, a different setting. This time at Scout HQ, a spot we used once before, in 2018. Although we planned on running CW and digital exclusively, we also got a few newer hams in front of a microphone as well. It was great to see them pick up the idea and run with it.
The weather was, well, field day-ish, with rain dropping by from time to time. IHI had the great idea to rent a cargo trailer for the weekend to run the digital station. If you ever have to do field day without a building, there is a lot to be said for one of these as a shack away from the shack.
As usual the antennas went up without too much drama once the discussions were completed. As usual the logging system was a pain in the rectifier, but eventually it all came together.
Between HYS and myself a few exams were conducted. What better way to be inducted into the ranks of hamdom than at FD.
Canada Day
Eight days after Field Day was Canada Day. OP and others hustled to get the callsign VE3RHQ, at the headquarters station of RAC, on the air for its first Canada Day contest AND CELEBRATION. We invited the local organizations that had made contributions to the station (OARC, OVMRC, QCWA #70) to join us on the day. Consequently we had a number of visitors, visiting operators and guests stop by to help out, celebrate, and eat cake. It was a great day, and I expect (hope) there will be a write up in the Sept-Oct TCA.
The station still isn’t finished yet, and once again we operated with temporary antennas and borrowed rigs, but full operation is getting closer. It has been a lot of work and much more will follow. For example, today (Jul 19) OP and I went for miles into the countryside to buy some mats to put under the antenna mounts what will sit on the roof of the building. A small detail that meant hundreds of dollars and most of a day, to say nothing of shlepping hundred pound hunks of rubber into and out of a van. But it will all be worth it when we can finally declare it operational. Tomorrow’s task is more grunt work, taking rust off a tower support and painting it (the rust, I mean, although we may also get some paint on the tower support as well if we are lucky)
That’s all folks
73 keep cool (or warm, or dry, or whatever, just keep on)
mk
VE3FFK
Last Updated on 2024-07-20 by AdminOARC