Monday, May 24, 2021

Field Day 2021 History

 Everything was timed perfectly... 8AM we met for breakfast.. shortly after 9 we left the diner when we felt the first of the predicted rain.  But we headed toward Pine Tree Park as the rain drops got closer together.

 Determined, we rolled out the antennas, ropes, power cords, etc. I don't know if it was the rain, but we almost totally ready to begin by 11:30. 

It took the first hour to finally get three contacts, but after that they finally started to come in. We began with three stations. One station was using a Wolf River Coil and the other two were using Off Center Fed dipoles. The third dipole was not set up. 

The turnout of personnel was great. Everyone lent a hand. We broke for the annual dinner. The Club furnished the brats and burgers and fixin's .. the others came with dishes to pass -  a good mix.  The rain did not slow anything down.. the conversation was flowing as fast as the rain.. long after the meal was finished.. Is the meal ever finished? Not when you have young folks.. Later in the evening I walked to the shelter and smelled something good. . some of the gourmet cooks had some scours of kabobs  covering the hot coals.. 

It became quieter after midnight.. just two of us left in the park.. I turned off the generator.. at 4:30 the sound of another generator woke me up.. so I filled ours and turned it on.. got out the Bunn coffee maker I had brought with some Starbuck's coffee grounds and made a pot expecting some early operators.. and maybe it was the waffling smell of the coffee, but soon we were warming up the dipoles as the bands became better. 

Did I mention it was raining? Ever since we left the diner.. As noon drew near, the decision to shut down was given.. by this time there were a good number of members there to help take it down and clean up.  Of course as we went down the road, the clouds began to break up and the sun shone the rest of the day..

If we were contesters, we may have been slightly disappointed with our score. But seeing we are just partly in that category and mostly hobbyists having a good time sharing stories and experiences .. Now we have another "remember when"..     

 

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