Greetings, all!

I may have brought this up on the net but I've been given approval to set up on the lawn of the Masonic Lodge in Siloam Springs during Winter Field Day (https://www.winterfieldday.com/) on January 26-27.? I have never done WFD, myself, but I have participated in the "normal" Field Day in the past.? This seemed like a fun thing to do that might give some exposure to the hobby (and if it's too cold, we can warm up in the Lodge or need a restroom/kitchen).? The only confusing thing for me is the points system and how operating might be done under what stations but there's time to figure that all out.

The only radios I have for this are my Yaesu FT-60R HT and my LNR Precision 5 band Mountain Topper (QRP CW).? I might be able to get my bitx40 up and running in time with some luck (QRP SSB).? I'd need to work out some kind of HF antenna setup.? I also have a portable awning that's probably 10x10 that I could set up as well.? If we get permission, I don't see why we couldn't even drag my fire pit up to the lodge and have a nice toasty fire while we operate though that would require some tending.

I'm working hard to get my CW up to 15wpm to be useful for this event.? I plan to set up and operate somewhere anyway.? If I don't end up at the Lodge, I'll probably try to make it up to the Twin Mountains you all hear me blathering about on the radio all the time out at the Wedington area since it's the tallest area I have access to nearby.? If there's enough interest, I'd love to park at the Lodge with some of you for a while.

Let me know what you think and I'll try to bring it up again on the net.
cmh - KD5RYO

Thanks for the response, Shane!

Any HF rig with the appropriate band(s) and SSB capabilities could work just in case I'm not quite up to contesting speeds with my CW at that time (I refuse to operate CW at 7-10WPM during the WFD, I'm not going to get laughed off the air ".... .. .... ..").? I'm pretty close to 15WPM at the moment, though.? We'll see.? Any SSB could be operated under my callsign if I'm present.? I'm sure we could find another General or higher.? VHF is included, I think.? I have a yagi and by that time I'll have a j-pole that can both do 2m, so that could be an interesting experiment.

The only remaining issue would be "emergency" power.? I have batteries for my QRP stations but nothing big enough to run a mobile rig.? I would be open to purchasing some deep cycle marine batteries or one of those big "jump" packs but I must admit I've never used that sort of thing with a radio before and I'm not quite sure how to go about setting all that up.? For all the random crap I know, batteries somehow didn't get committed to memory.

As far as antennas are concerned, i can build dipoles pretty quickly that don't need any tuning.? If I had some advance notice, I could just put together a couple for common bands so long as we stayed on frequency (unless anyone has a tuner).? There's a couple of spots at the lodge where I think we could pull off an inverted-v either from the roofline or by putting up a fishing pole.

If we can't pull anything together quick enough for WFD, I don't see why we couldn't plan for a normal field day event later on as we aggregate supplies.? I've been given permission to use the lodge's lawn and facilities anytime for amateur radio use so long as it's not during one of our stated or called communications (Tuesday nights, usually).

cmh

I'd do it, but I have a band audition earlier on the 26th at the Walton Arts Center in Fayettville, so I'd be late to the party.?

I have a deep cycle marine that I was going to use as a repeater back up battery, but when I installed the 145.310 at Green Forest, much to N5KWL's and I suprise the site has generator back up. Kinda thought about putting on the 444.7, but I need a large charge controller for it. Anyway, we could use that. It's strapped down in the back of my car because I am terrified I am going to get stranded at a Tower site because I left my lights on....

I might have a generator I could borrow, but I'd have to ask.

As for radios I could bring my Ten Tec Omni D, a Radio shack HTX 100 (SSB/CW on 10 meters) and antennas.

I'd have to ask the CARC Club president but we might be able use the KG5OQF call, which would give us all Extra Class Privileges... Not that their would be more activity for winter FD in the Extra Class portion of the band...

But I am going to have to wait before I give you a complete yes or no answer on if I can make it or not.

73 Jon, K5DVT

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I have a 2k generator that we can use for power.

That sounds terrific, Jeff!? I suppose that covers just about everything we need if we want to do this.?? The lodge has tables we can use and I have a small portable awning.? We'd have to set up 30' away from the lodge as per the WFD rules.? There's plenty of space to do that.? I'll gather up a little summary of the rules and what we might have available to operate and send another message to the group soon.

Thanks for the responses!

cmh

OK, folks!

I spoke with Kirk from the Hogville group today by chance over in Fayetteville.? He expressed some interest in the event.? I've not managed to contact anyone else, though.? Perhaps I'll chime in on this week's 700 ragchew.?? Here's a summary as we stand right now.

So far, this is what we've got:

- Access to the Siloam Springs Masonic Lodge on January 26/27 2019 (kitchen, bathroom, etc.)
- 5-band QRP CW radio
- Couple of 9/12v batteries for QRP stations
- Whatever dipoles need making
- All the tables we could need courtesy of the Lodge
- A 10x10 portable awning
- Food/beverages
- Deep cycle marine battery
- A couple of General class operators
- Four or five people total with interest in the event

Things we might have:

- Ten Tec Omni D (Shane)
- 2k? Generator (Jeff)
- Maybe? a club call for extra privs (Jon)

This is what we need to figure out:

- How points work for the event.
- How we're going to get antennas up there (it's a pretty flat area but we could work stuff from the roof)
- Schedule for setup/teardown/operating times
- Pre-event meeting on site to go over antennas/setup locations/whatever
- Bands/modes we plan to operate

Did I miss anything?? Any chance we could get firm confirmations on these things by, say, the end of the first week in January so I can let the Lodge know?

73 DE KD5RYO

OK gang, here's some quick updates and a little chaos.

First the chaos:? a close friend of my wife is getting married on the Saturday of WFD and I'm told I'll get free cake and I might get to dance with my wife if I wear a tie and behave myself, so I'll be doing that.? I don't know if anybody other than myself planned on operating the full 24 hours but what that leaves us is Sunday until 1300 CST.? We are allowed to do 12 hours of setup on Friday if we like but I'm not real keen on leaving equipment out unattended (though some things could be stored inside the lodge like the awnings or whatever).

So the big question here is:? are people still on board if we set up early Sunday morning and operate until 1300 CST?? Does that cut anybody out of the deal?? If so, I can see about having another member of the lodge present on Saturday but I do not believe we'll get anybody wanting to stay for the full 24 hour period.? I know some of us have church and the like but I'm willing to go down there at maybe 0700, start some coffee, and start putting up awnings and stations.

I've been told we may be able to have an FT-817 present, so that's nice and it brings me to another point of consideration:? Rather than having a single operating point, what if we all just brought whatever rigs/antennas we could and set up several operating stations?? The only caveat (per the WFD rules) is that we would not be allowed to have more than one station on any one band/mode at the same time if we want to get points as a group.? I'm not particularly interested in points (and many of you didn't seem to be either) so this doesn't really seem like an issue to me.? If we have several stations set up, folks could probably just drift from rig to rig as they see fit.

It looks like the bulk of WFD activity will happen on HF SSB, so we should probably make it a point to have such a station present either way.? I don't have any SSB capable rigs except for a very temperamental bitx40.? There's been a little discussion about people maybe bringing HF rigs.? Can we get any firm commitments on that?

And lastly, my summary of some bits on rules that were clarified for me by the WFD team and asked by some of you:

Can we use Echolink?? In short, no.? Internet connected stations and I think maybe repeaters don't count.

Do terrestrial APRS messages count?? Yes so long as the contact was not solicited and both parties make the WFD exchange.? We cannot assume the other station made the contact without a reply.? Only radio to radio APRS messages count.? The contact is void if it was relayed through a digipeater.

Do APRS messages count if they occurred via the ARISS digipeater?? Yes.? Any contacts via the ISS do not have to use the WFD exchange and count as satellite QSOs with the appropriate point multipliers.

Do you have recommendations for VHF and UHF frequencies?? Not really.? Stay near but off the usual calling frequencies for the best results.

That sums up this update.? Please reply to this list if my schedule blew everything all apart or hit me up on the 700 system.? Feel free to contact me via phone as well (directly email me and I'll give you my phone number).? I'd like to go look at the site with a couple of people on the 19th/20th or something earlier so we can decide what to do about antennas *before* the event.

73 DE KD5RYO

Honestly the Sunday would be better for me.

I'd be interested in going on the 19th/20th but not quiet sure what my schedule looks like this far out....

Thanks for all the hard work Chris!

K5DVT

OK folks!? We're drawing closer to the event.? I have the lodge ground secured from 0600-0700 or so to around 1300-1400 on Sunday, January 27th.? The contest ends at 1300 CST that day.? So far it seems like we'll have one or two hf rigs, my mountain topper, food, and a generator.? I'll bring along my dual band slim jim antenna if people want to use their HTs and I'll be happy to make a couple of dipoles for whatever bands we decide to operate.

Given that we're not a club, we'll all have to operate individually or under one another's calls.? I don't think any of us are out for points, so that shouldn't matter too much.? The only other bit of logistics to handle is where to put up antennas.? I would like to ask that whoever intends to try to put up antennas to please meet me down at the lodge sometime on Sunday, December 20th (the Sunday before the event) so we can figure out where to put all these antennas.? We can mount things to the side of the building or to the roof (though it is a metal roof), there's a small tree (maybe 15' tall) and a flagpole available.? I'm open to maybe getting a big fishing rod as an option as well.? We'll need to think about what band(s) we want to operate because antenna height will be our biggest restriction.

Please let me know if you'd like to assist with antenna work and if so, what would be the bets time for you to meet me down at the lodge.

Thanks!

73 DE KD5RYO

Hey everyone, I've added a APRS object to the aprs.fi map to help "Advertise" the event.



Note it may take the page a moment or two to load up.?

Chris: I'm currently working on a PVC mast, should be 20 feet tall, but it is a bit wobbly at that height. If it's very windy we might want to take it to 15 feet. I have some wire, and already threw together a 10 meter dipole, but i may turn it into a 20 meter dipole since I have a 10 meter vertical I could bring. In your last reply you said December the 20th. I suppose you mean January 20th? I'd be down to go over there and plan some things out. Also, if you don't mind, I'd like to tell Ron, K5XK about this get together who will put it on his huge NWA amateur radio email list. We might be able to get a few more visitors or two and maybe some more guys would want to get in on the operating.

73
K5DVT

Sorry, I did mean January 20th.

There is a flag pole out there we might be able to hang an inverted-v from.? Here's hoping for no wind.

I just got my EFT-MTR 10/20/40 end fed dipole in the mail and we could use that for QRP stuff (it'll handle up to 25W CW/SSB).? I can build dipoles out of speaker wire easy and already have one for the CW portions of 20M and 40M, though I don't have a tuner.

I like the idea of the APRS object.? We should probably add to the comment field that we'll be operating on the 27th from maybe 0600/0700 CST to 1300CST (when the contest is over).?? Note that APRS contacts are valid so long as they're not solicited and don't pass through a digipeater or igate.? Could be interesting.

73 DE KD5RYO

Right on the APRS object, will do that as soon as I send this message. I wasn't necessarily inciting that we should make contacts through APRS, but I was just plotting that as a way finder. The day of the event I can drag my APRS setup out of my car just for fun though. I also have a 5/8th wave magmount for 2 meters.?

I have 3 tuners, one being a QRP homebrew one, a MFJ mobile one with built in SWR meter, and one with no meetering. I also have some coax jumpers and some RG8 (Not 8x! this stuff is as round as your thumb!) but it is rather old and water damage may make it quite lossy on 6 meters and up.?

I already have plans to run my 2 meter/440 in the mobile as well, and will listen to the 444.700/442.075 on WFD

73 K5DVT

p.s. I also have some SWR meters, but they aren't tuners. I'll throw them in the box as well. I may also have a 75 Meter Zepp out in the shop as well. Used to be an AMer on 3885.

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This is great folks, thanks!? Seems like things are coming together.

How does 1PM work for folks on January 20th to just give the site a look and see where we might set up?

73 DE KD5RYO

Works for me!

Alright, some new details and some final arrangements!

Jon and I went out to survey the site yesterday and it looks like our best options will be bring our own masts, get creative with the roof, or use the flagpole.? I'll check with the City about the use of their light poles on the Lodge's property.? We've got a couple of potential locations to set up the tents.? We'll have to get creative with leveling.

If possible, lets all meet at 7AM on Sunday (January 27th).? We can probably get our stations set up in an hour.? I'll start by putting on some coffee, dragging out some tables, and getting my awning stood up.? We can then work on antennas and rigs.? That should let us operate from about 8AM to 1PM (when the contest ends).? That's a solid 5 hours and it should prove to be a lot of fun.? Short of my normal paper logging, I won't be doing any contest logging.? If you want to try to aim for points, please have a look at the rules here:?

We will be in the Outdoor category.? I'd like to suggest that we work 40m SSB, 2m FM, Satellite FM, and try to get a couple of APRS contacts (especially via satellite digipeater).? The digipeater on the ISS has been down since December 19th but NO-84 has a digipeater on the same frequency so we may try that one.? I'll have to set up my radio and tracking software for it but what's a field day without a challenge?? I'll also have my mountain topper if anyone feels like they're fast enough for contest CW.

As for our class, I think we should all just go with class 1 because of the availability of rigs and people.? Classes are defined as the number of simultaneous modes your station is able to work.? Since we're not all operating under the same call, it would make sense to just go with class 1 and call it good.? If that's the case, our exchange would be something like (gonna pick on Jon here...:

• K5DVT this is KD5RYO, we are One Oscar, Northwest Arkansas (single mode of simultaneous operation, outdoor station)
• KD5RYO this is K5DVT, thank you, we are Two Hotel,? Central Texas? (two modes of simultaneous operation, home station)

I'm still not sure how we'll call on APRS other than to place an object with maybe "CQ Winter Field Day 1O" on it.? We still have to have the full exchange for the QSO to count.? I'll figure something out for that.

Please let folks know when we'll be operating and encourage them to come out.? I think this will be a fun and interesting event if we can manage to pull it together!? Let me know if you've got any questions or concerns.? Looks like Sunday will be sunny and cold!? Hopefully the precipitation holds off.? I can handle cold, I can handle wet, but I don't handle cold AND wet so well...

72 DE KD5RYO