The Perry County Amateur Radio Club participated in the annual ARRL Field Day event this year. The club came together at the residence of N3RPM on the morning of Saturday, July 24th at 0800. N3RPM served a hot breakfast and then the club immediately began working to set up our stations. A self-supporting quarter wavelength vertical and an end fed longwire antenna in an inverted V configuration were assembled and erected for use. N3RPM provided a 33 ft push-up mast that was used as the center support of the longwire antenna. The ends of the longwire were tied off to a large tree at one end of the operating area and staked to the ground with several feet of dacron as a standoff at the opposite end. A Comet GP-9 antenna was already present and connected at the site by N3RPM on arrival for VHF/UHF use.
Two HF transceivers and a VHF/UHF transceiver were assembled and utilized during the event. An FT-991A was used as the primary HF station. An FT-891 was used for the GOTA station operated by our two youngest members who were licensed within the last year. An IC-9700 was used for VHF contacts and satellite attempts. KB3PSN constructed a set of band pass filters for the applicable HF bands and they were effective in allowing simultaneous transmission without interference between transceivers.
A solar panel and battery system comprised of two 100 watt solar panels and a deep cycle marine battery provided power for all 3 transmitters during the event. The system provided adequate power during daylight hours and well into the evening running each transmitter at 100 watts. At approximately 2200 hours local time, the battery voltage measured 12.2 volts while receiving and dropped to 11.7 volts when both HF stations were transmitting. At that time, the FT-991A began shutting off when transmitting. The transmitter output power of both HF stations was reduced to 80 watts. This resolved the issue and operations continued. Additional batteries were available on site as a backup to the primary solar system, but were not needed for operation this year.
The group operated as a class 2A station for the event. A GOTA station does not count towards the total number of transmitters for its parent station and was not counted in the class designation. Contacts were made on 80, 40, 20, and 2 meters. All contacts were made using FM or SSB. No digital or CW contacts were made. There were 122 contacts completed by the club stations and an additional 51 contacts completed by the GOTA station for a total of 173 contacts. On-air operations began at 1400 local time on Saturday, July 24th and continued intermittently until 0100 on Sunday, July 25th. Scattered thunderstorms interrupted operations multiple times and equipment was shut down and disconnected during storms to prevent injury or damage to equipment. N3RPM served as our primary safety officer with KB3PSN as an assistant and both monitored outdoor conditions, lightningmaps.org, and local doppler radar to inform decision-making on operations between storms. At 0100 on Sunday, July 25th, on-air operations ceased for operators to sleep. Operations began again on Sunday, July 25th at 0730 and continued intermittently, again between scattered thunderstorms. On-air activity ceased at 1351 due to a large thunderstorm in the area that was likely to remain nearby until after the event operating period was over at 1400.
Four opportunities for satellite contacts were identified after calculating pass predictions for the International Space Station. Contacts were attempted on each of the four passes. The first pass was unsuccessful due to configuration error of the transmitter. The second pass was unsuccessful due to a low pass angle that was obscured by local terrain. The third pass was unsuccessful due to inability to reach the ISS with the Comet GP-9. On the fourth pass, members decided to attempt using KB3PSN’s arrow antenna for the satellite pass. Due to configuration restrictions, lack of available equipment, and MPE exposure limits at VHF/UHF frequencies, a pair of HT’s were used for this attempt. One HT was used as a receiver on the ISS downlink frequency while the other was used as a transmitter on the ISS uplink frequency. The attempt was ultimately unsuccessful and is believed to be due to a lack of transmitter power compared to other stations simultaneously attempting to access the ISS voice repeater.
Several members of the club were present on Saturday. A few unlicensed persons who have an interest in radio were also present for several hours on Saturday to observe operations. Six club members returned on Sunday to complete the event. All participants enjoyed various accommodations from our host, N3RPM. These included a trailer with solar power, lights, and air conditioning for operators, a 20×20 tent with tables and chairs for socializing and protection from the elements, an outdoor kitchen with propane powered cook station, shelving, and coolers for cold food items, and (perhaps most importantly) portable restrooms with wash station. Participants enjoyed hot food, various snacks, and cold beverages during the entire event.
The Perry County Amateur Radio Club would like to express our deep appreciation for the efforts of all involved in making this Field Day a successful venture for our club. We would like to extend a special thanks to our host, N3RPM, for his various contributions to the club and his excellent service to our needs this weekend. And finally, a special thanks to all the members who worked hard behind the scenes to plan our event and make it a reality. We hope you had a fun, educational, and safe Field Day weekend and we hope to see you next year!