[Ipg-smz] The Post Field Day Wrap-up

[Christine Hall]

+1 Thanks for the update. Glad everyone made it safely through the storms.

Christine Hall
Publisher & Editor
FOSS Force: Keeping tech free
http://fossforce.com

On 6/23/19 5:16 PM, Tom Henderson wrote:
> Fellow Guilders,
> 
> There were tornadoes in our area, just 500y from our radio Field Day 
> site one week ago, businesses whose buildings were ripped apart, 
> shredded. The debris will take weeks to clean. Several buildings will be 
> torn down completely.
> 
> We put up four radio stations, including one for the general public, 
> called a Get-On-The-Air station. We used a variety of equipment, and 
> I'll not bore you with the details of what. There was a WiFi network 
> that allowed us to log our radio contacts as we made them. We made 
> several hundred national and international contacts using voice, and an 
> additional 50+ using digital contacts (like modems).
> 
> There was a great storm AFTER we got the stations going and antennas up. 
> Then, advancing radar told us of a huge storm, so just before the end of 
> the event day, we hastily tore down EVERYTHING. We had had pizzas 
> delivered. As the new storm passed through, it would take six guys ten 
> minutes to get the pizza delivery napkins and paper plates that blew 
> around for 100y or so. Our other gear had been secured. Every year we 
> learn something new. We will bring bricks coated in plastic to hold 
> stuff down.
> 
> We had breakfast and coffee at 6am and continued to make contacts, and 
> chili + pork chops the evening before, along with lots of snacks-- many 
> of them low-carb as I'm now the prez of the localclub. I tried to 
> contact Wayne Rash's station to no avail, but there were thousands and 
> thousands of us trying to make contacts. The bands were crowded, and the 
> frenzy prevented us from doing so.
> 
> We had fun. Now it's time to shower and rest.
> 
> 73 Tom W9YW
>