Field Day at the Clay Center Amateur Radio Club

2008 - 2014

2008• A conversation between Bob, K5TEC, Marek,

KB1NCG, and Eliot, W1MJ sparks an interest in having the Waltham Amateur Radio Club (WARA) run its !eld day at our site.

• WARA is lacking a site for 2008 and CC-ARC has no experience running a !eld day operation.

• CC-ARC formally proposes a collaboration with WARA at WARA’s April 2008 meeting and the collaboration is o"cially born.

2008• WARA / CC-ARC

• Class 2A

• Primary Call: W1MHL

• GOTA Call: W1CLA

• Field Day Chair: Eliot Mayer W1MJ

• CC-ARC Liaison: Alex Richman KB1NTR

Camping & PicnicArea

Welcome Table & GOTA Station

Station HF180/20/10M

Station HF240/15M

& VHF Station

ClayCenter

Parking

130' Dipole

65'Dipole

Generator

(Updated 2/24/08)

S

N

EW

Overview

HF1: Ten Tec Orion (40/15)

HF2: Kenwood TS-940S (80/20/10)

VHF: Yaesu FT-897D (6)

GOTA: Kenwood TS-2000 (6/2/.7)

Food Tent

Info Table

Forrest–KB1QXX, Alex–KB1NTR, Marek–KB1NCG at GOTA

Alex–KB1NTR, Ted–KB1NTJ, Eliot-W1MJ, Forrest–KB1QXX

2009• WARA / CC-ARC

• Class 2A

• Primary Call: W1CLA

• GOTA Call: W1MHL

• FD Co-Chair: Eliot Mayer W1MJ

• FD Co-Chair & CC-ARC Liaison: Forrest Gasdia KB1QXX

CampingArea

Welcome Table

Station HF180/20/10M

Station HF240/15M

ClayCenter

Parking130' Dipole

65'Dipole

Generator

(Updated 6/23/09)

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N

EW

20M Ȝ/2Dipole

VHF Station

PicnicCanopy

GOTA Station (Van)

Overview

Overview

HF1: Kenwood TS-2000 (80/20/10)

HF2: IC706MKIIG (40/15)

VHF: FT-897D (6)

GOTA: IC706 (20)

Info Table

6m HF Beam

Alex–KB1NTR, Forrest–KB1QXX, Ted–KB1NTJ

Ted–KB1NTJ, Forrest–KB1QXX !ghting with the 6m beam

D’oh! I mean doe!

Forrest–KB1QXX on GOTA doing some digital work.

Gil-KB1QXW on GOTA

2010• WARA / CC-ARC

• Class 2A

• Primary Call: W1CLA

• GOTA Call: W1MHL

• FD Co-Chair: Eliot Mayer W1MJ

• FD Co-Chair & CC-ARC Liaison: Forrest Gasdia AB1LG

CampingArea

Welcome Table & GOTA Station

Station HF180/20/10M

Station HF240/15M

ClayCenter

Parking130' Dipole

65'Dipole

Generator

S

N

EW

20M Ȝ/2Dipole

PicnicCanopy

VHF Station (Van)

6M Beam

(Updated 6/21/2010 by W1MJ)

Overview

Overview

Overview

HF1: Yaesu FT2000 (80/20/10)

HF2: Kenwood TS-2000 (40/15)

VHF: FT-897D (6)

GOTA: Elecraft K3 (20)

Info Table

Food Tent

#e 2010 Crew

A visit from FEMA… Bob–K5TEC, Bill–W1YEE, Marek–KB1NCG

Nick–KB1SVB, Sam–KB1TZJ, Bill–KA1MOM working GOTA

Forrest–AB1LG and Kylie–KB1UHG working GOTA

#e year of the laser…

…and the portrait

Our Field Day co-chairs,Forrest–AB1LG and Eliot–W1MJ

Public Tours

2011• CC-ARC / WARA

• Class 3A

• Primary Call: W1CLA

• GOTA Call: W1MHL

• FD Coordinator: Eilif Mikkelson KB1YNQ

• WARA Liaison: Eliot Meyer W1MJ

• Added new 40 meter 3 element inverted V-Yagi over the grass !eld.

Station HF340M

Welcome Table, GOTA Station, VHF Station

Station HF120M

Station HF280/15/10M

ClayCenter

Parking

130' Dipole

Generator 1

S

N

EW

20M Ȝ/2Dipole

FoodArea

6M Beam

(Updated 6/17/2011 by W1MJ)

40M Wire Beam(2- or 3- el Inv-V Yagi)

Generator 2

20M Ȝ/2Dipole

Black Line = Rope Brown Line = Antenna Feedline

Overview

HF1: Yaesu FT2000 (20)

HF2: TS-480SAT (80/15/10)

HF3: IC706MKIIG (40)

VHF: FT-897D (6)

GOTA: Elecraft K3 (20)

#e new 40m HF beam!

Kylie–KB1UHG, Alex–KB1SSN,Nick–KB1SVB, Forrest–AB1LG, Conner–KB1UDN

#e visiting public

#e visiting public

Soldering Clinic

Software De!ned Radio

Nick–W3BER always works hard on !eld day…

…and Alex–KB1SSN lounges around all weekend.

Marek–KB1NCG withConnor–KB1UDN working 6 meters

It was a wet year…

…and awesomely foggy!

Teddy–KB1ULG, Sam–KB1TZJ, Nick–W3BER

Fox Hunts!

And cool gear!

Eliot–W1MJ always has to get the solar bonus!

2012• CC-ARC / WARA

• Class 3A

• Primary Call: W1CLA

• GOTA Call: W1MHL

• FD Coordinator: Eilif Mikkelson KB1YNQ

• WARA Liaison: Eliot Meyer W1MJ

Station HF3

40M

GOTA Station, Welcome Table

Station HF1

20M

Station HF2

80/15/10M

Clay

Center

Parking

Lot

130'

Dipole

Generator 1

S

N

EW

20M Ȝ/2

Dipole

6M Beam

(Updated 5/24/2012 by W1MJ)

40M Wire Beam(3- el Inv-V Yagi)

Generator 2

20M Ȝ/2

Dipole

Black Line = Rope Brown Line = Antenna Feedline

VHF Station

HF1: Yaesu FT2000 (20)

HF2: IC706MKIIG (80/15/10)

HF3: Elecraft K3 (40)

VHF: FT-897D (6)

GOTA: TS-2000 (20)

GOTA: TS-2000 (20)

Info Table

#e year of the great rain.

#e year of the great rain.

#e year of the great rain.

#e year of the great rain.

#e year of the great rain.

And awesome sunsets…

And lots of stars!

And the failed electronics project!

#e generator is always thirsty!

#e 2012 Crew

Ashley–KB1WHO andConnor–KB1UDN

Pizza!!!

Forrest–AB1LG

Alex–KB1SSN andTeddy–KB1ULG

2013• CC-ARC

• First fully self run CC-ARC Field Day.

• Some WARA members did show up to help setup and breakdown and were invited to join in our operation.

• Class 3A

• Primary Call: W1CLA

• GOTA Call: WX1CLA

• FD Coordinator: Nick Weber KB1SVB

Overview

Overview

HF1: TS-480SAT (20)

HF2: TS-480SAT (80/15/10)

HF3: FT-857D (40)

VHF: Ted’s Monstrosity

GOTA: TS-2000 (20)

Info table !nally moves indoors!

Info table !nally moves indoors!

New Coax

#e 40m Beam

Some of the setup crew!

So many supervisors…

Michael–KA1NXH, Alex–KB1SSN,Nick–KB1WLK working on the new antenna setup.

Connor–KB1UDN, Michael–KA1NXH,Marek–KB1NCG soldering connectors onto new coax.

Alex–KB1SSN, Nick–KB1WLK, Marek–KB1NCG, Michael–KA1NXH, Connor–KB1UDN, deploying the

new spool of feed line.

Going fox hunting!

Bruce–N9JBT, Kevork–KB1ZAW, Bob–K5TEC working GOTA.

Teddy–KB1ULG, Noah–KB1VWZ working 80 meters.

Noah–KB1VWZ trying to make some QSOs on VHF.

#e 2012 Crew!

More GOTA action!

Noah–KB1VWZ watchesMarek–KB1NCG do some computer assisted code.

Alex–KB1SSN shows some police o"cials our Field Day setup.

Jack–KB1WWA from the Red Cross,Marek–KB1NCG from ARES,

Casey–KB1REN from Brookline CERT

Still haven’t found that fox!

#e 40m beam in daylight.

2014• CC-ARC

• No WARA members inattendance

• Class 3A

• Primary Call: W1CLA

• GOTA Call: WX1CLA

• FD Coordinator: Marek Kozubal KB1NCG

Overview

Overview

HF1: TS-480SAT (20)

HF2: TS-480SAT(80/15/10)

HF3: TS-480SAT(40)

VHF: TS-2000 (6/2/.7)

GOTA: IC-718 (20)

Info Table

Info Table

VE Session

#e 2014 Crew!

Our Red Cross Visitors

#e police came!

Jeremy–KB1REQ working40 meters

#e public at GOTA

Casey–KB1REN Brookline CERT,Jeremy–KB1REQ ASEC for youth activities

Jeremy–KB1REQ working 40 meters digital

2015• CC-ARC

• Class 3A

• Primary Call: W1CLA

• GOTA Call: TBD

• Possibilities: WX1CLA, NE1AR, …

• FD Coordinator: Marek Kozubal KB1NCG

2015 Plans• Repeat and improve on the success of 2014!

• Class 3A running TS-480SAT’s in all 3 primary tents exactly as done in 2014.

• Run the TS-2000 again for VHF.

• Run GOTA, possibly with Marty’s Yaesu FT-450D.

• Run another VE session onSaturday afternoon.

2015 Changes• Addition of a 3-element 20-meter beam with

the 3-element 40-meter beam.

• #is has the bene!t of moving the down the hill station up to South!eld next to the 40-meter station.

• Possibly moving HF2 up to the court yard.

• Improve VHF/UHF 2m/70cm beams.

• Better press and public relations outreach.

• More general visitors plus invited guests.

2015 Questions?

• If we change GOTA to ladder line, should we rebuild its dipole to be an OCF-multiband?

• Would the CF 80/15/10 dipole perform better as an OCF design on 15 & 10?

• If we ever want to grow to 4A, what would we add into the freed up main antenna rope?

#e 20m Beam• #e proposed 20m beam will have a 45° 3dB

bandwidth and a 60° 6dB bandwidth and a 35° take o% angle.

• It should improve our performance on 20m and is low e%ort since the 40m beam is already put up each year.

• #e 20m beam interlaced within the 40m beam has little to no e%ect on its performance.

#e 20m Beam

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2008 Field Day

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2009 Field Day

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2010 Field Day

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2011 Field Day

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2012 Field Day

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2013 Field Day

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2014 Field Day

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OH VA MI EPA EMA IL NC MDC WPA GA IN WNY NNJ TN

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