On the qrp-l mailing list, Bill, N4QA, posted the following. Field Day really does have something for everyone.
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Whether you’re into:
- QSO counts/rates,
- certain modes of operation,
- working rare stations,
- erecting antennas,
- staying up late,
- leaving your usual world behind for a while,
- camping out,
- doing FD from the comfort of your own home (my personal favorite),
- testing a new rig,
- eating/drinking things that are really good/bad for you,
- enjoying the company of others,
- dealing with the environment,
- public service, and
- having a great time
It’s all good!
Mike W2MJZ says
Dan…
While I could not participate in my local club’s Field Day activities this year due to my own real world work responsibilities taking necessary precedence, I carefully went through the list of field day highlights and reflected on the memories of my own past with just a ting of sadness and melancholy that I could not participate in the adventure this year…
QSO counts/rates… “Sorry OM, I worked you two hours ago”
certain modes of operation… “Wally, Bill’s CW keyer is wired backwards, where’s the little screwdriver”
working rare stations… “Now let me get this straight, you are on a sailboat a hundred miles off the coast of New Jersey, you just received your call in the mail, you don’t have the letter from the FCC with you, and you can’t remember your call???”
erecting antennas… “Wally, it’s not going to get any distance if it’s only three feet off the ground”
staying up late… And looking around you at three thirty in the morning and realizing that you are the only one awake.
leaving your usual world behind… with only the exception of those very strange and totally twisted individuals who are actually employed full time in RF communications.
camping out… “Wally, something furry just ran across my foot and it wasn’t Bill’s dog.”
doing FD in the comfort of your own home… oh yes, instead of hearing only ten stations all at once calling “CQ field day”, with your own far better designed antenna systems at home, one can hear perhaps forty stations all at once from a lot further out.
testing a new rig… “Wally, where’s Bill, the dial on his rig froze and I don’t know where the button is to unlock it.
eating/drinking things that are really good/bad for you… “Wally, get one of your kids to burn me two dogs on the grill and get me a Corona from the cooler in the back of my truck :)”
enjoying the company of others… “Bill, wake up, they just heard your snoring in Ohio”
dealing with the environment… “Wally, something furry just swiped one of my hot dogs off of the grill.”
public service, and… “No sir, we actually have a permit from the Parks Department authorizing us to be out here all night for the entire weekend, it’s on the dashboard of that truck over there. No sir we are not CB’ers, and no, those aren’t truckers you are hearing on our radios. Have a good evening officer.”
Having a great time… “does anyone have a match or lighter, my bug lamp just blew out and the mosquitoes are on a feeding frenzy.”
It’s all good…
Mike Zydiak W2MJZ