Field Day is coming

Field Day, where Hams all around the country spend a weekend "in the field" operating under emergency conditions is coming. Next weekend I'm travelling to Nebraska to mount an operation with my cousin Brad, KG0GY, from Juniata, Nebraska.

Brad and I have similar operating interests, and we've been talking about doing this for years, so it should be fun. He's been active with the Lincoln Amateur Radio Club for years, and I've been active with the Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs. We've both been active in Field Day with those clubs, and have both been very active in those clubs. We also share the view that we're tired of clubs, but like Field Day, so this is our solution.

We'll be operating 80, 40, 20, and 15 meters, primarily on CW, but may run a little SSB, if we're bored. We'll be running my Elecraft K2/100 and his Icom 746Pro. I've got a small Honda EU2000 generator that will provide our power.

My Field Day philosophy has always been "if I have to spend more than a couple hours in preparation and more than 30 minutes in setup, it's too complex." For the 20 and 15 meter antenna I'm using my Force 12 vertical dipole. I've used it past Field Days, and it meets my antenna raising criteria: "If the antenna is too big for my wife to put up, it's too big." I've included a shot of the antenna broken down and ready for transport. The base is the biggest part of the package.

I'll post more details from the Field Day site next week, and more photos and summary after the event.

Look for us on 80, 40 and 20 CW as KG0GY, 2A NE.