Well, Field Day 2025 is just over. Just paperwork and unpacking left now. So how did it go?
+ LOTS of visitors. Hams: old, new and not yet but curious about it all. That spot on CBC Radio did good things for us.
+ Great site. Easy to find. Easy to get to. Good trees for wire antennas. Space for other antennas. Speaking of space, it was the first time in several years that we attempted a satellite QSO.
+ We finally got a rope up high in the tree near the building. We just have to hope all three are still there next year (the rope, the tree and the building).
+ – For the first time this century, I took the night off, and left the site overnight. Worked great for me, but it meant more strain for ICV and OP who carried on through the night. Thanks guys
+ – Weather: Rain in buckets Friday during loading, but BEFORE much of the set-up. Enough rain Saturday to make it officially “the 4th rainy weekend in June”. Most of Saturday and all of Sunday was beautiful.
– Propagation: The universal excuse. When the QSO count is down, the usual excuse is propagation, but it really seemed there weren’t as many stations out there. Of those who were audible, there seemed to be a higher percentage of fixed stations. More of them than stations in the field will have gain antennas on 20 and 15. We never heard anything on 10m.
– The FT-8 station had trouble Saturday. Attempting to log caused the software to quit. This will mean no records set this year, I suspect.
– The CW station had an interesting one. After a lot of struggle, it was noticed that the rig was set to put out 10W, rather than 100. Sometimes a rig is too complicated for its own good. Maybe it was RF getting in where it shouldn’t.
– I had a few screw-ups: That line you saw in the video getting launched to the perfect spot. Well I tied the rope to the far end and started pulling it through- far enough that the end went up out of reach. Fortunately someone noticed and yelled, so we were able to haul it back to earth with a long pole.
– After carefully bagging the end of the coax for the end fed antenna on Friday night, I found the thing sitting in the tree, soaking wet, with the bag a bit below the connector.
So how was your FD?
Next up, RAC Canada Day Contest at RAC HQ, Monday 8pm until I bail out, probably 10ish, then Tuesday, Canada day from about 10am until 8pm. (it runs 0000-2400Z July 1, but I don’t) The outside door will probably be locked, so call me (613 322 0669) and I will come down and open it. There won’t be cake, or its infamous red icing, but there will be a couple of stations for you to operate.
Then, from 8am July 5 for 24 hours is the CQ VHF SSB/CW(FM) Contest on 6 and 2m
Back on HF, the IARU HF World Championship runs for 24 hours starting at 8am on July 12. I’m thinking of opening up RAC HQ for part of that one. Let me know if you want to play.
Plenty to keep hamming humming.
73
mk
Last Updated on 2025-08-05 by Joannadanna