Hughes Amateur Radio Club W6HA W6HA Field Day 2019 Field Day Technologies – Planning – Preparedness May 7, 2019 Hughes Amateur Radio Club W6HA April 18, 2017

Overview – Sharing Field Day Knowledge Goal: Share knowledge about technologies and methods related to Field Day Topics: Power sources Dale WB6MMQ Solar – panels, regulators, Generators – sine wave, fuel use, start, refueling Batteries – (too much to cover in detail – just a chart of types, capacity, and preferred use is 5% rate of capacity) UPS – use to avoid generator transients – need power to get them started Filtering of transients – filters used at field day Power distribution ir voltage loss in long cables, AWG rating Radio bands and propagation Mike N6MDV Frequency – skip zones – time of day – time of year Solar conditions – Modeling Types of radios and how to operate use of basic controls RF gain, filter bandwidth Modes of operation FM, digital, CW, SSB Personal and community safety, shelter, food, sun protection Bob AD6RW Logging of messages and traffic – Betty N6VZF National Traffic System NTS Messaging – Steve KI6GUY Nets – Forms – scheduling a time and frequency – Steve KI6GUY Winlink – Mike N6MDV Field radio station setup and organization – equipment list and why Transceiver Antenna – band pass filters – cables – switches Multi station set up and physical orientation CW keys/paddles, microphone, headsets Display/keyboard Transporting equipment – safely

What is Field Day Hams setting up radio stations to develop skills to meet the challenges of emergency preparedness Acquaint the general public with the capabilities of Amateur Radio W6HA Goals: To have fun - keep it light and enjoyable for all Train, learn, share knowledge To make many radio contacts - more each year To test new equipment, antennas, and methods To engage with the public and explain how we are preparing for emergency communication operations Method: Set up temporary radio stations Transceivers Antennas Emergency power Work as many stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20,15 and 10 Meter HF bands, as well as all bands 50 MHz and above Learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. W6HA Approach: Wilderness Park – Redondo Beach Family camping weekend Setup on Friday Around the clock operation 3 to 4 HF stations 1 Get On The Air (GOTA) station 1 VHF station

Band Pass filters minimize Inter station interference 40M dipole 15’ lower than pad 40M dipole A amphitheater 308d 100’ HF3 22d 185’ TH3JR N TH3MK4 + inverted V VHF cluster 64d 175’ A R A HF1&2 25d 150’ 40d 175’ 326d 65’ TH3JR GOTA TH3JR 230d 130’ pine R A HF4 A – Antenna R – Radio g - generator Info – Public Information Table GOTA – Get on the Air Station info 30’ Wilderness Park – Redondo Beach pond Antenna Placement Magnetic Headings Distances between stations 70 degrees beam orientation Optimum for East Coast and midwest Northern states & midwest 30 deg East coast late afternoon 15M 50 deg Hawaii 260 deg Alaska 330 deg Park Entrance

W6HA 2019 Field Day Stations 20 Meter Station with 3 element yagi on 55’ crank up tower 10 & 15 Meter Station on yagi on 55’ tower with duplexer Plus 80 Meter 80M inverted V from tower 40 Meter Station with North South Dipole GOTA HF/VHF Atation with 3 element yagi on 20’ pushup & VHF/UHF vertical VHF Station with 5 element 6M yagi, TBD other antennas on 20’ pushup poles 15/20/40M Digital / CW Station Triband yagi on pushup plus NVIS dipole Plus 2 Honda power generators Solar Information table Logging computers

Field Day Power Class A – No Commercial Mains Generators, fuel Solar, Batteries – UPS Power cables and Filters WB6MMQ Dale

Non-Commercial Power – Class A – Multiplier: 2 x 4 Pole Filter Rated 30 Amps Aux. Fuel Tanks – 6 Gal. and 4 Gal. Honda 2000i Generator Line A (Black) Honda 2000i Generator Line B (Red) Backup Generator – Older Honda Day Use Only Photo Credit: Steve Sakai

Non-Commercial Power – Class A – Multiplier: 2 x Honda 2000i (inverter) 4 – 6 Gallon Aux Fuel Tanks 2 @ 1800 W ea, Total 3600 Watts – Runs 24 hours W/O Refueling Line filter – 4 @ 30 Amps (just in case) Power Cord – 130 ft. - 30 AWG – 4 conductors Safety-Green, Shared Neutral-white, 2 Hots – Black & Red Distribution / Breaker Box – 2-20 & 2-30 Amp Breakers 2 - Duplex @ 20 Amp; 2 - 30A Twist Lock Various 100 ft. #10 & #12 Extension cords Quad Box Cords 25 to 50 ft. (box w/ 2 – Duplex Receptacles) Lights ~6 w/6 ft. cords & 40W – 60 W bulbs (incandescent) Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) (desktop Logging CPUs) Note: Generator Wiring is different than building wiring. In buildings, Both the Neutral and the Green wire safety wire are grounded at the service entrance. In generators, the Green Wire is connected to the generator chassis and earth ground by the user (presumably) – The Neutral is NOT connected to the chassis or earth ground. Some UPSs complain about this.

Non-Commercial Power – Class A – Multiplier: 2 x 30 AWG-4 Conductor Power Cord and Distribution Breaker Panel

Non-Commercial Power – Class A – Multiplier: 2 x Installation Requirements & Goals Safety First ! Air-Line Power and Internet Cables No trip hazards – No Clothes line hazards Minimum Height: 8ft, Goal: 10ft. Use Ropes to pull cables up Do NOT try to throw heavy cable over branches etc. GOAL: Put up power and internet Cables 1st before other things get in the way. Complete before 3 PM Friday afternoon inspection Needs Two Teams of 2 people each. – 4 people Plus an occasional helper Throwing or pulling the cables over branches and through crotches is: 1.  More dangerous than you might expect. (We did have a close call.) 2. A lot more work 3. You can get a light line over a higher Branch easier too, so that the sag in the middle of the cable is higher. 4.Take down is faster, easier and also safer, if you can just loosen the line and lower the cable.

Alternative Power - Solar - 100 Points Photo Credit: Steve Sakai

Non-Commercial Power – Class A – Multiplier: 2 x Alternative Power – 100 Bonus Points Solar Panel – 100 Watts (12 volts @ ~ 8 Amps) Charge Controller – 30 Amp Power Pole Connectors Batteries – 12 volt - 100 Ahr Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) Usually used at the VHF station. Qualifies for Alternative Power Bonus 100 points Must make a minimum of 5 contacts for the bonus

Radio Bands and Propagation Frequencies, skip zones, time of day Solar conditions Modeling i.e., how do we get our signal to them? N6MDV

Simplified High Frequency Propagation Why Antennas, Frequency and Time of Day Matter During day use higher frequencies Use Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) for close access Vertical antennas have lower take off angles – but may be have more noise High yagi’s have even lower take off angle 55’ tower with 20 meter frequency antenna is 0.8 of a wavelength high Same tower at 10 meter frequency is 1.6 wavelengths high and will have lower takeoff angle Ionosphere ionized layers D, E, F1, F2 – stronger and lower during day Mid angle e.g. yagi closer to ground High take off angle e.g. NVIS dipole close to ground Lower take off angle e.g. yagi higher above ground CA during day Western US at night Texas for yagi .75 wavelength high Atlantic states for yagi 1 wavelength high

Modeling Background Using VOAAREA modeling tool Smoothed sunspot numbers for June 2019 with 10 SSN (lowest we’ve used) Model our antennas on EZNEC Model receiving antenna at 8dBi Consistent with dipole at other end (2db higher than last year modeling to reflect observations) Modeling presumes 100W out Suitable for SSB and CW, but high for digital 90 percent reliability based on SNR 45 dB for SSB (blue on following charts) 27 dB for CW/digital (grey on following charts plus near by green) Plots at 6am, 9am, 11AM (18Z), 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM, 9PM, and 11PM pacific Antenna models – Pattern and gain determined from EZNEC 20M and 15M tri element yagi at ¾ lambda above ground 70 deg orientation from North 40M NVIS North South dipole 80M NVIS not updated from last year, pattern is about the same

How to Read Chart S9+ SSB Time Band SKIP ZONE CW/Digital in green, grey, and near by white S9+ 02 UTC = 7PM 14.1MHz = 20 meter band June with smoothed sunspot of only 10 ***** Good time of day for midwest and east coast SKIP ZONE Antenna Direction One Hop and Two Hop Signals

3PM 20M 3 Element Yagi on 55’ tower, 15M 3 Element Yagi on 25 ft pole, 40M NS NVIS, 80M NVIS Use digital or CW Maybe Phone 15 Meter 20 Meter 80 Meter 40 Meter

Best QSO Periods By Band o o o o o X 5PM o o o o midnight o o NEEDS UPDATING FOR 2019 THIS IS OLD DATA o o o

Types of Radios Basic Controls Modes of Operation at W6HA Field Day N6MDV

Transceivers We will have a mix of radios Mobile HF/VHF – compact: buttons for key items, menus for rest Base station – bigger: buttons for nearly everything Radio owner will set up the basic configuration Items you need to check or change are: Turn radio on – power switch Mode: single side band, FM, or data Power output: set to 100W except digital modes use 20W Select antenna: Some stations will have multiple antennas: Set antenna switch and ensure that appropriate band pass filter is in place Change band and frequency on transceiver suitable for that antenna Tune Frequency: Using VFO knob – check SWR SWR – Antenna tuner: activate tuner, confirm SWR is good (<2 prefer <1.5) Change listening volume level: AF knob Change RF gain to reduce unneeded noise: RF gain knob Attenuator on/off if strong signals are causing distortion Select receive filters (bandwidth) to reduce noise Push to talk button: when transmitting voice VOX or other control for digital transmissions

All Radios at our Field Day Get instructions from band captain or radio owner If uncertain about how to use: Don’t Always check that antenna is attached and SWR is <2 before transmitting Set volume control as you need it Too loud can be tiring If radio has RF control, turning down RF gain can reduce noise and distortion – lower it until signal is still audible and noise is reduced If radio has receive filters, select narrower bandwidth to reduce noise and adjacent station interference SSB suggest 2KHz, CW suggest 1KHz while tuning and 100Hz on a signal

Many Radios Most will have a VFO A and a VFO B Stores two frequencies Buttons normally swap A and B frequencies and copy A into B Convenient way to monitor a frequency occasionally while searching for other stations – just swap A and B occasionally Most of our stations will have band pass filters between the transceiver and the antenna Reduces cross band interference – significantly! (80dB) Know what filter you have, only transmit on the same band as the filter – otherwise will damage the transceiver Our filters are limited to 200W – transmitting with higher power will burn out the filter (smoke) Most radios have RIT knob – for quick field day contacts normally not used, but use it if you are “running” and other guy calling you is too hard to understand RIT = Receiver Incremental Tuning: changes receive frequency without changing transmit frequency

Triplexer Triplexer Allows three radios to use the one highest antenna -Connects to Tri-Band antenna -Separates each band to a connector -Saves work – Don’t need separate pushup masts and antennas for each station. Connecting cables 2018 1 - Shorter Cable for the tower ~ 65 ft 2 – 20M cable ~ 25 ft 3 – 15M cable ~ 100 ft. 4 – 10M cable ~ 100 ft (if used) Photo Credit: Steve Sakai

Yaesu FT1000MP with power Amp Buttons for everything Focus on main VFO – A May have a power amplifier – see additional instructions SWR Check Antenna Tuner On/Off switch Filters Band select Attenuator Frequency select Volume control RF gain control

ICOM 7300 Combination of button and menu plus touch screen with soft buttons Pan adaptor and waterfall display shows where signals are On/Off switch Band select touch screen Filters Antenna Tuner Frequency select Preamp & Attenuator Volume control RF gain control SWR Check touch screen select SWR meter

Elecraft KX-2 KX-3 similar but with more buttons for filter control Few buttons & each has multiple functions Tap for the white function Hold for 1s for the yellow function Swapping between A and B VFOs easy Return to a frequency for search and pounce Band select SWR Check Volume control Pre amp & Attenuator Filters Tap and then use knobs Antenna Tuner coarse VFO A/B save and swap RF gain control Menu item Frequency select On/Off switch press both at once

Safe Operating If SWR is too high (>2) Check proper band pass filter for this frequency band Check antenna is attached Check all coax connectors – be sure fully engaged Some have been bent in past Check cable with dummy load and analyzer Check tuner is engaged and set correctly Ensure no one is in your antenna area: RF exposure Be sure radio is set to appropriate frequency Band plan mode restrictions Within your license privileges Not too close to band edges or “special frequencies” Such as 14.230 slow scan TV <50.1 for weak signal ops Not on 2 meter call 146.520 – QSY up once initial contact or announce

Field Day Safety Antennas Power Personal AD6RW

Field Day Safety Considerations ARRL Requirements for Safety Officer (SO) RF Safety Considerations Environmental/Venue Concerns Common Sense Safety Considerations Field Day is to be fun - Injuries are prohibited! All participants are deputized as SO's Stay Safe - Have fun!

Other Safety Considerations Antenna installation - dangers here! Ladder safety (team effort) Proper Tools for the job (gloves, spin tights) Know your limitations (none of us are getting younger) Wire/Coax routing - overhead, out of reach RF Safety Considerations - exposure limits, overloads Environmental/Venue Concerns - Civilians, Fire, Bees! Liberal use of safety/barrier tape Common Sense Safety Considerations Walk, don't run. Think before you act Sunscreen – sun hat Field Day is to be fun - Injuries are prohibited! (and might get us uninvited next year) All participants are deputized as SO's Stay Safe - Have fun!

Supporting Documentation and Signage

NO SMOKING / NO OPEN FLAMES GASOLINE STORAGE AND USE AREA Make as many copies as need to be posted

SAFETY EQUIPMENT HERE PLEASE RETURN AFTER USE HARD HATS WORK GLOVES SAFETY GOGGLES CAUTION TAPE SUN SCREEN FLASH LIGHTS SIGNAGE MATERIALS PLEASE RETURN AFTER USE

FIRST AID KIT HERE SERIOUS INJURIES – CALL 911

FIRE EXTINGUISHER HERE Make as many copies as need to be posted

HOT WEATHER SAFETY STAY HYDRATED - DRINK WATER AVOID SUN - STAY IN SHADE WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHING AVOID WORK DURING HIGH HEAT USE SUNSCREEN MONITOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS FOR HEAT RELATED SYMPTOMS

MINIMIZE RISKS / CONTROL HAZARDS ALL OVERHEAD CABLES ABOVE EASY REACH ALL EQUIPMENT PROPERLY GROUNDED CAUTION TAPE AROUND ALL HAZARDS CAUTION TAPE ON GUY LINES / CABLE DROPS TENT STAKES MARKED / OUT OF TRAFFIC AREAS MARK OR ELIMINATE ALL TRIP HAZARDS NO RUNNING / USE FLASHLIGHTS WHEN NEEDED NO COOKING/STOVES OTHER THAN PARK FURNISHED NO OPEN FLAMES – GASOLINE IN USE KNOW WHERE FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS LOCATED PROTECT PUBLIC ACCESS TO REST ROOMS SAFETY OFFICER / DESIGNEE ON SITE AT ALL TIMES

THINK SAFETY FIRST Make as many copies as need to be posted

SAFETY LOG LOG ALL SAFETY ACTIONS / INCIDENTS / INJURIES

DESIGNATED SAFETY OFFICERS

SAFETY ACTIONS / INCIDENTS / INJURIES

Logging Messages Traffic – Contacts Server, Software, Logging station N6VZF

Field Day Logging Each contact recorded with this information Frequency Band 160M, 80M, … 440MHz Mode CW, Digital, Phone Time in Universal Time Coordinate UTC Starts at 1800Z and goes to 1759Z on Sunday Call sign Other stations call e.g., W6TRW ARRL section Most are the state, some states have multiple sections like North Florida NFL Class of station: examples 7A or 1B Number of transmitters and type of station A – club of 3 or more people B – 1 or 2 people C – Mobile D – Home station E – Home station emergency power F – Emergency Operations Center Each station can be recorded once per band and mode Thus each station call sign could be recorded up to 30 times if they used all bands and all modes (extremely unlikely)

Why Log? Provides excellent practice for getting an accurate message through Requires careful listening to what the other station says Requires recording that information accurately Akin to what one might do in an emergency operation to pass information accurately and keep track of what was sent / received. It’s required for computing our score

How we do it Laptop or desk top computer at each radio station Server computer Fast enough to keep up with workload With graphic display of logging results All computers networked together with Ethernet cable and switch Local network – NOT WiFi N3FJP logging software Preloaded on each logging computer Stores contacts on the local computer & copies onto the server All logging computers can see the contacts that have been made so far

The bottom of the screen will display the current: Band; Mode; Field Day Station Call, Class and Section; Time in local and UTC formats 50

To change the current operating Band, click Band on the menu and select the new Band 51

To change the current operating Mode, click Mode on the menu and select the new Mode 52

To change the Operator Initials, click Operator on the menu – Enter the new initials then click Done to save 53

Move from one field to the next by pressing space bar, tab, or simply type the exchange and the software will tab automatically! Try it! Data Entry Window 54

As you enter a call, a list of possible duplicates will be displayed below 55

If you determine that the call you are entering is a duplicate, click on clear or press Esc to erase all fields 56

When you have a valid Call Sign entered, press the space bar, tab key or simply start typing the class to move to the Class entry field. TAB 57

Enter the Class then press the space bar, tab key or just start typing the section to move to the Section entry field. The software will tab automatically! TAB 58

If you enter an invalid Section designator an Error window will appear – Click on Yes to correct the entry 59

When you have a valid entry, press the Enter key to save 60

Your entry will appear at the top of the Recent Contacts list – The Date, Time, Band, Mode and Operator Initials will be automatically filled-in 61

To Edit or Delete a contact entry, scroll to the contact, click on the entry and two boxes appear 62

If you click on Edit, an edit window appears – Edit any entry fields then click on Cancel to not save the changes or Done to save your changes 63

If you click on Delete, a confirmation window appears – Click on No to leave the entry in the log or click Yes to permanently delete the entry 64

When a Section is worked for the first time, the abbrev-iation is highlighted in Blue 65

As Contacts are added, statistics are continually updated 66

Clicking Map on the menu bar produces a graphical representation of sections worked 67

Field Day Messages National Traffic System Types of messages How to send KI6GUY

Radiograms for Field Day 2019 What was done for 2017 & earlier – voice At least 30 minutes to send our 11 messages Required setting up a “private” session or sending during a “public” time Going digital for Field Day 2018 & on Simple format for Radiogram in email body No external coordination needed Sent radiogram via ham radio directly to addressee's email address using WinLink2000 Used VHF Gateway in Torrance in 2018 Registered W6HA as WinLink user (reregister?)

100 point Radiogram NOTE: Current LAX Section Manager, Diana Feinberg, AI6DF Script for preamble (“..” denotes pause): “number one.. routine.. whiskey six hotel alpha.. four.. redondo beach initials charlie alpha.. june two five..”

Complete script for 100 point Radiogram Sample: How to send by voice a radiogram Complete script for 100 point Radiogram Script (“..” denotes pause): “number one.. routine.. whiskey six hotel alpha.. four.. redondo beach initials charlie alpha.. june two five.. .. david greenhut I spell golf romeo echo echo november hotel uniform tango.. amateur call november six hotel delta.. initials lima alpha x-ray.. initials sierra mike.. .. figures two one seven eight one.. ventura I spell v e n t u r a.. initials bravo lima.. initials november oscar.. figures two four three.. .. woodland hills.. initials charlie alpha.. figures nine one three six four.. .. figures eight one eight.. nine nine two.. five five zero seven.. .. email address I spell november six hotel delta atsign A R R L dot org.. break figures four five.. visitors so far break barry colston I spell charlie oscar lima sierra tango oscar november.. amateur call kilo golf six november whiskey juliet” Read slowly so receiving station can copy Spell phonetically names and othes not common

100 Point Message Text File Template

Field Day 2019 In 2018 I created text file & Brian AB6UI provided laptop & radio – neither can be at FD this year Previously sent “welcome to ham radio” message to hams who passed FCC exam since last FD Suggest members send something like “I might contact you via ham radio message after the Big One if commercial landline and cellular and email infrastructure are damaged or overwhelmed” I can do paper forms & text file if necessary Need laptop with WinLink2000 connected to radio on FD

References LAX Field Day National Traffic System (NTS) Messaging Information: http://www.arrllax.org/uploads/Files/ForARRLLAX.pdf Global Amateur Radio Email: https://www.winlink.org/ Email client download: https://www.winlink.org/WinlinkExpress How to: https://www.winlink.org/content/winlink_book_knowledge Gateways: https://www.winlink.org/RMSChannels

Field Day Station Setup and Organization Equipment List Logistics Field day site

Equipment Prep List Amazing amount of gear for a 3A or 4A station Per Station Antenna Coax Band pass filter Antenna switch Transceiver CW Key, microphone Power strip Computer – digital modes Computer - logging Displays – Keyboard - Mouse Tent – EZ Up – tarps mosquito netting Table Chairs Lights Pens/pencils Logging paper Band plans Operating guidance sheets Per Field Day Site 2KW Generator + fuel Power filter Power cords Rope to hang cables Fire extinguisher Hughes Aircraft Club Sign Information table Sign in list Info table flyers Computer – logging server Ethernet cable Ethernet switch First aid kit Safety signs Safety tape 1.5 rolls Personal gear Layered clothing – hat Sunscreen Tent/sleeping gear Snacks/water

Radio Stations 4A LAX 20 M Phone station 1 – Kenwood 930S transceiver 10-15-20M Yagi on 55 feet tower (North Pad) 10M/15M/80M Phone/CW/Digital station 2 – Yaesu 1000 transceiver Triplexer onto the main 55 foot tower Plus 80M dipole in trees 40M Phone station 3 – ??? transceiver (NE field) 40M NVIS dipole Digital station 4 – ICOM 7300 10-15-20M Yagi on pushup pole (West pad) GOTA phone station (Near info station) KX-3 and ??? VHF FM radio 10-15-20M Yagi on pushup pole Plus VHF/UHF vertical VHF Station – TBD transceiver (East pad) 6M 5 element yagi 2M yagi 440 220 Vertical/yagi All equipment is TBD until owner concurs TENTATIVE FOR 2019 Separate 6M receiver to monitor for Es openings, possibly prefer omni directional antenna for monitoring

More Prep Things Mosquito netting is a good idea Chairs provided by many individuals worked well Caution tape works well. Used about 1.5 full rolls Keep public away from antennas Block off pathways that through traffic will be a problem Many interested visitors on Friday and again Sunday afternoon. Suggest flyers and info booth be set up earlier and left up until the end Frequency band plan charts in each station worked well Ditto the charts as to what to say… CQ CQ FD

More Field Day Actions Tour guides and people manning the info booth were very useful, friendly For CW operations we need a pig tail adaptor from ¼” jacks to 3.5mm jacks as some radios need the smaller fitting. Likely need an adaptor back the other way too. Thursday 1:30PM load the trailer Hanging cables high in the trees – use rope to pull up in places Note 200 foot Ethernet cable was barely long enough to get to the 40M tent Social media and newspaper media release worth 200 points Start with the city as early as January to ensure we have a place at the park. They work well with us. Go to Alta Vista park office and be sure we are in the reservation book for Pine Campground

Tower Trailer Instructions 1 7/8 inch ball 2 chains 2 long turn buckles 3 large plywood pads 2 cranks 1 for winch 1 for trailer 2 wood blocks for legs if on soft ground Be sure chains are crossed when bracing legs to trailer Bring bubble level to be sure trailer is horizontal

Sample Text for Press Release For Immediate Release For additional information contact: Brian Johnson 213-290-5746 W6HA@VSUMMITS.COM Amateur Radio “Field Day” June 23 – 24 at Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach. Demonstrates Science, Skill, and Service The Members of the Hughes Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise, June 23 – 24 at Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach. 1102 Camino Real Redondo Beach, CA 90277. We will be at the North end of the park in Pine Campground. The park is open to visitors 10am-4:30pm. Since 1933, ham radio operators across North America have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during “Field Day” to showcase the science and skill of Amateur Radio. This event is open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend. For over 100 years, Amateur Radio — sometimes called ham radio — has allowed people from all walks of life to experiment with electronics and communications techniques, as well as provide a free public service to their communities during a disaster, all without needing a cell phone or the Internet. Field Day demonstrates ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent communications network. Over 35,000 people from thousands of locations participated in Field Day in 2016. “It’s easy for anyone to pick up a computer or smartphone, connect to the Internet and communicate, with no knowledge of how the devices function or connect to each other,” said Dave Isgur of the American Radio Relay League, the national association for Amateur Radio. “But if there’s an interruption of service or you’re out of range of a cell tower, you have no way to communicate. Ham radio functions completely independent of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure, can interface with tablets or smartphones, and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. That’s the beauty of Amateur Radio during a communications outage.” “Hams can literally throw a wire in a tree for an antenna, connect it to a battery-powered transmitter and communicate halfway around the world,” Kutzko added. “Hams do this by using a layer of Earth’s atmosphere as a sort of mirror for radio waves. In today’s electronic do-it-yourself (DIY) environment, ham radio remains one of the best ways for people to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology, and numerous other scientific disciplines, and is a huge asset to any community during disasters if the standard communication infrastructure goes down.” Anyone may become a licensed Amateur Radio operator. There are over 725,000 licensed hams in the United States, as young as 5 and as old as 100. And with clubs such as the Hughes Amateur Radio Club, it’s easy for anybody to get involved right here in the South Bay. For more information about Field Day, contact Brian Johnson W6HA@VSUMMITS.COM or visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio. Send to Daily Breeze

Field Day Operating Guides

Field Day Operations TENTATIVE FOR 2019 Field day is part contest part experience building and intended to be Fun! The contest is measured by number of contacts made – called QSOs We can contact every radio station once Per band (160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m, 2m, 1.25m, 70cm) Per mode (Phone, CW, digital) If we try working the same station more than once on a band and a mode, that is called a duplicate or “dup” (doesn’t count, but no penalty either – have fun be courteous) Contacting on all modes and bands we have 27 contacts with that station Which part of the country reached varies with time of day and type of antenna Sun ionizes the atmosphere – enables higher frequencies Antennas have angles that they put out most energy TENTATIVE FOR 2019 Guidance to frequencies and modes to use during which parts of the day

Operating Methods – Club Guidance the Exchange determines that we had a contact Call sign – Class of station – ARRL section We are: W6HA – Whiskey 6 Hotel Alpha 4A LAX Keep it fun and polite - keep the day friendly Add a phrase, like: QSL, Thanks Have a great field day 73 Two methods: Search and Pounce Easier to do, but has slower QSO rate Running Needs strong signal e.g., S9 to hold onto a frequency TENTATIVE FOR 2019

Search and Pounce Guidance Exchange is: Call sign – class of station – ARRL section We are: W6HA – Whiskey 6 Hotel Alpha 4 Alpha LAX (Lima Alpha Xray) Search and Pounce Dial slowly up and down the band, listening for stations calling CQ Listen to their call – if we have it on that band and mode, move on Helps to keep a scratch sheet of paper with call signs/frequencies as that station may be on that frequency for a while Respond with “Whiskey 6 Hotel Alpha” If it is a busy station (pile up) Best respond immediately after their call – anticipate or Wait a moment until all the others have called, then be the last one in Speak up for more energy If they hear you, they will say something like W6HA please copy 5A South Texas You respond with: QSL, please copy 4 Alpha LAX or QSL, please copy 4 Alpha LAX have a great field day TENTATIVE FOR 2019

Running Guidance TENTATIVE FOR 2019 Exchange is: Call sign – class of station – ARRL section We are: W6HA – 4 Alpha LAX Running – You call CQ and control the pace Find a spot on the band that does not have someone on it (stay within the band plan, band edges, and class of license) If you can find 3KHz open, that is likely good, 5KHz would be better Listen for a minute or more – then ask: “Is this frequency in use, W6HA” Wait 20 – 30 seconds and ask again: “Is this frequency in use, W6HA” If no response, consider this portion of frequency yours Call CQ like this “CQ CQ CQ Field Day Whiskey 6 Hotel Alpha” or “CQ CQ CQ Field Day, this is Whiskey 6 Hotel Alpha calling any station” If someone responds, they will just give their call sign Be alert and ready to copy their call sign You respond with: <their call sign>, please copy 4 Alpha LAX Listen for their answer which should be something like: “5 alpha lax” Respond with QSL, thanks have a great field day, Q R Zed Or just go back to calling CQ as above See next page for more guidance TENTATIVE FOR 2019

Running Guidance – Special conditions Assuming you have your frequency staked out, the following conditions may happen Some other station asks if frequency is in use Answer Yes, this is W6HA, then immediately go back to calling CQ Or some other station encroaches on your frequency without asking or is so close that there it disrupts your communication Option A Keep calling CQ and persevere, they may just move away (about half the time this is true) Option B See if you can move up or down 1 KHz and avoid the other person a bit without over riding someone else Option C Look for another part of the band – there will be some very high power stations and we will not be able to hold a frequency all the time. In fact, if you hold it for 30 minutes that could be very good. (Note as the sun moves, stations we couldn’t hear before may come into range. It could be that you both had the same frequency and now you are interfering. Be polite – this is for fun and experience. Move to new frequency) Your CQ is answered by a bunch of calls If you can pick out one call sign clearly, respond to them If you hear only a portion of a call, say something like: “Station ending in Foxtrot, go ahead, others stand by” In these cases, after completing the QSO say “thanks, Q R Zed” Which means who is calling me – like CQ but you have someone who wants to talk with you.

Constraints All operators are welcome Control operators must work within the constraints of their license OK to have a control operator with more privileges and operator with less or none Stay within the band plan frequencies for phone, CW, or digital Keep it fun and polite! Each station has 1 or 2 band pass filters – stay within your band to keep transceivers happy and to avoid self interference GOTA station has same bands as 10/15M station, coordinate which band is in use to avoid interference