Field Day location 2016

[K5SLR]

Hi all,

I've seen the dates for Field Day in the newsletter. So far I haven't seen which park we'll be setting up in this time though.

Same as last year or a different one ?

Thanks,

Todd - K5SLR

[ke5nub]

We have the pavilion reserved at Paschall Park. The address is 1001 New Market Road, Mesquite, TX 75149. We would like to move this indoors. That is being looked at but we have the pavilion reserved as a fall back location.

Please let us know if you have any leads for an indoors location. I am not aware of anyone volunteering to be Field Day Commander as of yet.

[ab5rm]

Recently I learned from George Rice that we have permission to use the fire training center.

[K5SLR]

Assuming we use the fire training center, will we set the HF beam up on top of the fire tower ?

I'm guessing we take up the base plate and the top section and just guy it off to the railings or similar ?

If so, I think I have a pair of HF - 6m+ diplexers and a TV rotator that could handle the 6m beam if we wanted to maybe clamp that to the railing.

We need to be planning ahead for getting coax and such from the building to the tower in such a way that vehicle traffic won't damage it too. That was something we had to scramble on last year.

I haven't climbed up and looked that way, but the site is only 1.04 miles from my house according to Google Maps. That should be an easy link for some 5GHz network gear I have. Might be able to get us net access with one on the top of my house and one on the tower.

Looking forward to it.

Todd - K5SLR



Still planning to have my mag loop ready by then too.

[K5SLR]

I was up on my roof lately, and I'm pretty sure I can see the top half of a floor of the fire training tower. There is one tree line on the path between my place and the tower, but maybe it's clear enough for a 5.8GHz link.

I did some more thinking since my last post and it occurs that we might be better off putting up a couple of OCF dipoles at right angles to each other and putting an antenna switch up on top of the tower to switch between them. Should be WAY faster than the beam, and a lot easier. Just something to ponder.

If anyone has them, I'd love to see pics of what we've done before at this site. Especially the inside layout of the building.

[ke5nss]

There has been discussion of using wire inverted v dipoles antennas for 75,40, and 20 meters. The 40 should be able to tune to some of the lower bands as well. This mainly because of a shortage of hand on deck. The caveat is the club does not own any wire antennas. I'm was going to put together a 40m delta loop, but I have not poles to support it.

The possibility of the Mosley beam we used last year is still a possibility. Again, the manpower equipment necessary to get it from storage to the site then raise to the top are hurdles. Some of the folks we were blessed to have last year will not be able to attend this year. So, the lack of pickups to tow a trailer long enough to haul the beam and tower sections.

Some of us will be at the fire training center Sunday, 5/15, around 2 PM to look it over and come up with a strategy.

Neil
ke5nss

[K5SLR]

Wish I'd seen this in time. This is why I usually lose touch with groups that go to online forums only. The email list I would have seen.

I have parts on hand to make at least one OCF antenna, and maybe 2. Inverted V style antennas I think will be the winner this time. Getting the beam up the tower would be a bear.

I have the parts in hand to build my mag loops too. Will get started on them this week hopefully.

I am recruiting some friends that are interested in joining us. Alex - KE5BCX who helped us last year is hoping to attend as are a couple of other friends.

[K5SLR]

I won't be able to attend the meeting tonight. Weekday evenings are difficult for me - the traffic between Carrollton and Mesquite is rather tedious.

Last weekend Alex ( KG5BCX ) and I were able to get the logging software installed and networked. I want to do a little more testing before FD, but I think we're in good shape on that front.

I'll start pulling together the other items on my list from our planning meeting Sunday over this coming weekend.

Todd - K5SLR

[ke5nss]

Input is welcome.

We were able to get inside and take measurements. It's about 141' from the tower to the building. so about 200' of coax will be needed to make one run from the top of the tower to the building. We'll setup the stations on tables along the parking lot side of the wall to minimize the coax run and tripping hazards inside.

We'll run the feedline from the NE corner of the brick tower to the N side of the steps. From there S along the building and into a window. There are orange cones inside the tower we can use to mark off the feedline and I'll bring my roll of caution tape from last year to string along the cones.

I figured we'd place the generator on the N side of the steps and run the power in with the coax. This will minimize tripping hazards and still be easy to access for refueling.

I have a crude layout with dimensions I can mail to whoever want to help plan. Just email me at ke5nss@yaohoo.com and I'll get that to you.

Wee will need I chests. I have one "normal" size one I can bring with ice.The fridge will be off limits. The fire department has some of their refreshments in there and I do not want to chance anything coming up missing or depleted.

Neil
ke5nss

[K5SLR]

141' ? That's a factor of 2 more than the Google maps measurement. Are you sure ?