[600MRG] call for MF/LF/VLF specific Field Day reports and stories

[John Langridge]

Good morning:

I am starting to assemble a redux for field day, specifically looking for
stations that participated in the MF/LF/VLF demo event.  If you attended a
FD site and introduced someone to what we do or someone sent you direct
email reports, please send those stories and reports to me so I can
document them.  I've already received a few stories and will be aggregating
those as soon as I think I have everything I am going to get.

It was a very good opportunity here in North Texas and I already posted the
following story in Monday's daily report...It was a good time... 73 and
thanks for any content you might have.

John

My short FD report (plus a few other ops that submitted early content)
follows:

"My experience was fantastic. This year I visited nine Field Day groups
that chose to operate outdoors as Field Day was intended to be done, all
located North and West of the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex and none of
which that would fall into the category of being “prepper” or “emcomm”
focused (You can still find hams that love radio for radio’s sake!). I
easily could have visited many more groups in that area but tried to focus
on groups that were close enough together that I wasn’t spending most of my
time driving. Fortunately the weather was a bit overcast for the bulk of
the daylight hours and this helped keep the temperature down.

While several of the sites knew that I was coming at some point during the
day, I like to show up and not say anything. Instead I set up near my car
and wait for someone to come over and ask what I am doing. Pretty soon
several ops are crowded around listening. Curiosity killed the cat!

Even after several years of operating at 472, I am still amazed at the
ground wave potential this band offers. From 120-miles away, my station’s
signal was even loud and clear on the Sangean portable receiver with
internal loop-stick antenna. The primary receiver was the Elecraft KX3 and
Heathkit HD-1420 receive upconverter with an E-probe mounted about 12-foot
above ground on tripod-supported fiberglass tent poles of the variety sold
by *Clint, W3ARS <http://w3ars.com/>*.

There were lots of interested individuals at every location and not just
old timers. Its one thing to talk about the capabilities of this band with
presentations at a hamfest but its even more effective to illustrate with
an actual demonstration and I feel like this year’s effort here in North
Texas was really fruitful. And once again every site had individuals that
had no idea that anything even existed today below the AM broadcast band.
Some of these individuals were old timers not just the smart phone-focused
younglings.

One comment that I heard several times this year and have heard in the
past: Operators do not favor the “busyness” of the report entry website
<http://w5jgv.com/enterlogs.htm>. Many feel it is intimidating and that
they are required to fill in all of the blanks. I did my best to explain
that they could enter as little or as much information as they like. I
think many in the future will send email reports to their respective
operator, however, but there are still plenty of ops that use the webform
also.

The operation at WG2XIQ went relatively smoothly although I had one
transmit period that failed to start on time due to a serial port glitch.
It began about one minute late. Sometime between when I went to sleep and
0900z the FLDigi software, which was delivering my CW message and
controlling the timing and the station, crashed. It was restarted in time
for the 0915z transmission. I have a receiver on my nightstand next to the
bed so I can listen as I sleep (lightly, I might add) but I was evidently
too asleep this night. I have no idea how long the system was down.

Band conditions were great during the day. Noise levels were very low and
Ken, K5DNL / WG2XXM, reported shortly after I started my operation around
1300z that I was S7 near Oklahoma City, about 200-miles to the North. As
the session turned to evening, listening between transmit periods suggested
that it was going to be a noisy night and a look at the lightning map
confirmed this fact. Even so for the target audience, which for me was
around W5, the band conditions were quite good and many reports have been
received and will be aggregated at a later date.

Other participants also experienced success. Tom, N8TL, reported of VE3OT
on *LOWFER <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer>* that “Copy at
00:28 UTC on 0.4773 MHz: Beacon QST QST DE VE3OT VE3OT 73 and good luck
field day 2016 DE VE3OT AR”. Tom notes that “…Your signal here in NW Ohio
was about 10db above the S9 + 10 noise. Receiving on Ten Tec RX320
controlled by Linux Mint 17 Computer. Antenna is W1VD modified E-Probe up
18 feet above back patio.” Mitch was using 200-watts to a 340-foot loop.

Mike, N8OOU, who was operating “WM” on 185.3 kHz reported very bad noise
conditions as storms surrounded the Midwest. Garry, K3SIW, noted that his
noise was also very high due to storms in Minnesota but that he did hear
VE3OT for a brief period. Ron, NI7J / WH2XND also stepped into a brave, new
world, “sparking up” his system on 75 kHz WSPR (that just sounds crazy!).
Ward, K7PO / WH2XXP, noted that he received Ron at -17 dB S/N on the 71
mile path. Ron was operating at close to .210-Watt ERP!

John, W1TAG / WE2XGR/3, reported that the CW beacon of John, WA3ETD /
WG2XKA, was easy ear copy and recommended a CW QSO in the future.

I look forward to more reports from participating stations or their
experience if they presented hands-on demonstrations at their or other
Field Day sites."