Winter Field Day Event
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- Published: Wednesday, 18 January 2023 23:15
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Winter Field Day
The club will be participating in the Winter Field Day event, January 28/29, 2023. The venue will be a Fairdale Fire Protection Dist. facility, 7940 3rd Street Rd, Louisville, KY 40214. This location shows up on Google Maps. It is located behind Kaiser Tire Pros on 3rd St Rd at Outer Loop. Set up will begin ~9 am Jan 28 Saturday. Operating will be 2 pm Jan 28, to 2pm Jan 29 (24 hours continuous). Food will be available for Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning breakfast. There will be snacks and drinks.
Please put this date on your calendar as an event you plan to attend. This is a great opportunity to hone operational skills and make new contacts.
Winter Field Day is governed by the Winter Field Day Association. You will find more about this event and the WFD Association at www.winterfieldday.com. The event rules, results for prior years, images from prior years and more may be found at this website. The site does not appear to give the option of operating from home for aggregate club credit, as was done during Covid years. If you want to operate from home then use class [1H sect] and your call. I can help you submit your log if needed.
This firehouse is an “auxiliary” facility meaning it is not staffed. However, vehicles must be properly parked where designated; our equipment must not block emergency equipment, driveways, etc. As before, tables will be set up for stations in the bays and office. A separate “social” table / area will be available. Antennas (mostly wire type) will be hoisted in trees on the property. We will deploy emergency power (for bonus points) either by small generator or batteries.
We will be designated Class “2I KY” meaning 2 stations, indoor, Kentucky. One station will be primarily Phone (microphone talking) and Digi (keyboarding) modes, the other CW (morse code) as well as capable of Digi modes. Win10 laptop computers will be used for logging. The laptops will have “extended desktop” monitors in order to view the Digi app plus the logging screen simultaneously. The computers will be networked to a server computer in order to maintain one logging data base as needed to avoid duplicate contacts, and for simplified submission. The www.N3FJP.com logging software will be used. Since it is a 24 hour event, club participant(s) will need to stay and / or operate overnight.
The club rigs are an IC7200 and a IC746 with a bencher paddles/keyer. The N3FJP will include CW macros for sending. The PSK31 mode uses FLDIGI and has customized WFD macros as well. Bring your own rig or antenna if desired.
The Digi mode of choice will likely be PSK31. (This is still being researched.) FT8 is not used due to inability to pass the required exchange (see explanation on their site Resources, FAQs). Hopefully, someone will bring a Satellite rig and antenna for sat QSO bonus.
Details of the Club setup will be hammered out at the January ARTS meeting. Additionally, there will likely be at least one ZOOM call announced by email. The details of who does / brings what items need to be affirmed. The Club has radios, computers, antennas, coax, ropes, generator, et al. Members have the tables, chairs.
The 147.18+ (PL 79.7) W4CN/R will be monitored for info and talk-in.
Article submitted by Greg, WX8V.
