On Jan 27, 2025, at 11:48, Rick WA2HRF Fell via groups.io <rickyf@...> wrote:

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I participated in ARRL’s WINTER FIELD DAY Event, held 25&26/Jan. My after-action-report follows:

25/Jan: WCARG’s at Dave’s QTH,
What I brought:
-40m dipole kit: directv tripod, mast support, 24’ painters pole, top-mount pulley, balun, guy ropes and stakes.
-Elk Antenna’s handheld dual-band yagi.
-LifePo4 30ah battery (on-board BMS and display panel).
-MFJ 12v distribution panel, Anderson power pole (APP) connectors.
-FT-991a (with MFJ mini tuner): Anytone 878/DMR, Tidradio H8.
-PI-star hotspot (tyson built), DMR configured, with on-board UPS and USB power.
-T-mobile home internet gtwy?(with 12v to 20v ‘car charger’ with APP connectors)
-Laptop (with 12v to 20v ‘car charger’ with APP connectors)
-10 watt polar panel.

-USB LED lit radio signage, similar to:?
All devices capable of being powered by 12v battery by various DC-DC up, down or power delivery converters. Next test, my DC powered computer monitor (native external AC to DC power block).

-6 ft ladder (to reach mast extension rings).

-10x10 ft canopy (did not deploy)

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WHAT worked:

-Dipole worked

-7290 Traffic net check-in

-FT-8, two contacts on 20m, Africa and Arkansas !!

-Elk antenna on dipole mast, club and ares repeater access.?

-Handheld’s accessed the clubs repeater with HT’s antenna!!

-Pulled pork sandwich! Thanks Dave; Thanks Laura for the delivery.

-Battery capacity, by 1pm, capacity was 94%

-ISS cross-band repeater; flyover just before 2pm. Elk antenna was amazing. I maintained reception throughout the whole pass (5 min+). I attempted QSO’s, however, as expected, there was a field day pile-up, so many people calling out, no one could reply and complete a QSO exchange.

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What Didn’t work so well:

-Dipole ‘field kit’ too cumbersome and time consuming. Better options displayed by Ryan and Chris (?), Laura’s photos. I ordered a ‘reel potable’ from Robert’s shop in Cleveland, TX.

-Having to carry a 6’ ladder to reach painter pole collapse compression rings.

-Will consider displayed EFHW end mast options (spiderbeam, basspro fishing rod)

-Consider re-purposing directv tripod with 10’ mast to support VHF/UHF antennas.

-Elk antenna hand held for ISS fly-over, became heavy (or my weak arm). Will try mounting on a camera tripod.

-Could not see my laptop screen (small and outdoors). Will try a monitor or popup canopy option.

-Brought WAY too much stuff. More like a ‘go-truck’ with many bags/boxes, than a ‘go-box’. However, this is my first field day since I was about 17 years old!! During my oil spill incident response days, we had a semi-trailer command center and many crates.

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26/Jan: HOME QTH,

WHAT worked:

-MARS net check-in; With his NCS role completed - congratulations Scott !!

-Participated in my first ARRL field day contest - 20m / SSB. Responded to five or so CQ Field day calls. My observation: A contest using voice is the analog version of an FT-8/FT-4 digital exchange except FT-8 is every day, all day… short, sweet, impersonal, pre-defined exchange. Learnings: verify I’m operating within my license class; Field day ‘class and section’: 1H, STX.

-TX RACES winlink / vara hf peer to peer (WEBEOC request form) exercise. Three of four ICS- 205 targeted stations contacted and message sent.

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27/Jan: Yeah, my repaired FT-710 (failed USB comm port) arrived this morning by FedEx. Now, let’s see if I need to solder in the MARS mod (again).

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/ Being RADIO-ACTIVE,,, is exhausting

Looking forward to Laura’s photos !!

Rick, WA2HRF - find me on QRZ:?

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