San Antonio Hams

This is your Field Day Primer. Much of the information contained in this communication was extracted from the ARRL rules which can be found at http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/fd-2009-packet.pdf.

This email is targeted at the Station Captains, as identified in the Field Day Planning Meetings. This is an explanation of our classification (as a site) and your responsibilities as Station Captains.

As I’m sure you’re well aware, Field Day entries are classified according to the maximum number of simultaneously transmitted signals at the given site, followed by a designator indicating the nature of their individual or group participation.

We will be operating as a Class A entity, meaning a group of three or more persons set up specifically for Field Day. Shane O’Neal (NS5D) is the trustee responsible for the group entry K5EOC.

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From Noon Saturday thru 4pm Sunday 

Using only Old Vacuum Tube Radio / Equipment by K5AXN – Jerry Barry

Jerry says… It’s time for my 9th annual Vintage Field Day. this is mostly a social event, so bring a yard chair and join the fun. The place may need mowing and I might be slow in getting the equipment set up, but come pitch in and have fun. This is a gathering of some old AM guys and some family, plus new friends, and not a contest, so come join us to discuss Ham Radio or the problems of the world. Enjoy some time under the big pecan trees down by Cibolo Creek near Marion, Texas. We will have Polish Sausage wrapped in tortillas and bottled water. Carol will play you Hammered Dulcimer. If there is a lot of rain, call first because this is near a creek bottom with the usual country / creek insects.

From San Antonio, take IH-10 toward Seguin.  Take exit 595 (Zuehl Road) then go back toward San Antonio on the access road (on the south side of IH-10, 2-way traffic on access road).  Turn left on Sea Willow Drive and go to the end of the road on the right sie (1463).  San Antonio contact # is 210-653-0430. Time is noon Saturday until 4pm Sunday, +/- depending on weather. 

Announced in late 2007, but just now coming to the USA, Yamaha presents their newest toy, the 4×4 Wave Runner, combo 4×4 off-road bike and jet ski. Not sure how expensive a toy this is, but I’m sure it is outside my budget. Here’s a YouTube video showing how it works. Blonde on the back of the bike (toward end of video) is probably not included in final version. – Lee N5NTG

Seasons change and as they do, so do our emergency communications priorities. With the advent of Summer, in this case a bit earlier, June 1st marks the beginning of “Hurricane Season”. It’s been predicted to be a very active period.

Many newly licensed hams have joined the amateur radio ranks just in time to become useful communicators should an emergency caused by severe weather arise. There is always a need for trained emergency communications personnel, but this is especially true in the areas which are more likely to be impacted by a hurricane, those regions being the Atlantic and Gulf Coast areas. However, it takes more than just a license and a hand-held radio to make you a useful part of emergency communications. It also takes preparation, training and practice.

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The picture to the right was taken in March of this year when former President George W. Bush met up with Bob Hejl, W2IK, while the former President was touring the “Center For The Intrepid” where W2IK works.

The Center For The Intrepid is part of the BAMC military hospital complex in San Antonio where “Wounded Warriors” have physical therapy and are outfitted with the latest in prosthetic limbs.  

W2IK explained to Bush that the last time he had seen him was when he was doing emergency communications work at “Ground Zero” during the World Trade Center Disaster in 2001. After hearing that, Bush slapped him on the back and said : “God Bless you for being there. It’s an honor to shake your hand.”

After some small talk, such as W2IK explaining how he moved down to Texas in 2002, married a “good Texas woman” (Krissy, KD5YTN)  and how he knew it was a Texas residency requirement to root for a Texas football team, the former President finished his building tour.

N7ICE  QRZ Member  

This week’s HamBrief.TV demonstrates how to send a Twitter message via APRS using your ham radio! Catch the video online at 73s.org!

73s,
Chris Matthieu
http://73s.org/n7ice

 The photo below was taken today while I was testing the output of my solar panels that I’ll be using for the W5BOG (Bexar Operators Group) Field Day up at Lost Maples State Park. We will be setting up in the afternoon on Friday, June 26th so as to also operate during a Navy-Marine Corps MARS traffic net that evening. Field Day starts on Saturday, June 27th and runs through noon Sunday, June 28th. It is a 24 hour event, but we’ll be doing other ham-related things, including experiments, while we are there.

Since the duty cycle of SSB is much less than FM (25% vs 100%),  they’ll be able to easily keep my six banks of marine deep cycle batteries charged.

 Combine this system and my 200 watt wind turbine unit (pix shows three blades before I added three more to make it much more efficient) will mean plenty of power for at least two SSB stations to operate. This setup will also be used for my jump team programs. I may even skip bringing any of my gas generators with me to my jump team boot camps. Anyone who wishes to join us at Lost Maples is free to do so. Bring a sleeping bag (we provide the tent) and whatever personal items you wish. (check out the park  and how to get there by clicking on the red “Lost Maples State Park” title above)  All power, including the LED lighting system, will be furnished using either battery charged solar energy or wind energy. Cooking will be accomplished using propane stoves. This will be a non-polluting  “GREEN” power operation. Antennas won’t be commerically made, but will be built “on the spot” as if deploying under emergency conditions. Come and learn how to operate during a real emergency situation where all you have is what’s brought to the site. Learn about site survey and set up from scratch, setting up and using solar and wind turbine power, duty cycles of equipment, propagation (how it works for or against you) and basic contesting skills from someone who has earned several operating awards and deployed emergency stations many times using survival skills acquired over the past 35 years. Since we are out in the field, I will even give mini-lessons on subjects such as how to filter “local water” using a 4- step filter system, of my own design, which ecom workers may need if deployed to a rustic area and run out of bottled water.   Learn alot and have a lot of fun! If you plan on coming, email me at:   alonestaryank@aol.com    

Bob  W2IK – W5BOG – NNN0KSI – NNN0BGY2  MARS Ecom

by Shane O’Neal NS5D

Field Day 2009 is nearly upon us, and preparations are underway to make this the largest, most successful Field Day event in San Antonio’s history. This is thanks to the participation of AARO, SARC, ROOST, SARO, Hill Country REACT, QCWA and many other organizations and individuals, operating jointly under the banner of Bexar County ARES.

Field Day 2009 is expected to draw record numbers of operators and will feature many different bands and modes of operation, including PHONE, CW, SSB, PSK-31, FM and ATV as a Class “A” station. The total number of transmitters to be operated has yet to be determined, but will number at least six.

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Before I moved from Long Island to Texas, I had the privilege of doing something very rare. While a member of the Suffolk County Radio Club, I had the honor of actually operating from an antique, time worn, 10 foot by 10 foot wooden “shack”.

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We’ve still got a few slots left open for hams to volunteer for this year’s American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure bike event. This is a 2-day event from San Antonio to San Marcos, and San Marcos to Austin, on May 30th and 31st.

• We’ve got a couple of  Saturday Rest Stop positions that will only need manned in the morning, would be over before  noon. 
• We could use 1 or 2 more hams at the San Antonio Start Line on Saturday, would be over before noon.
• We could use a couple more Hams to ride in the Supply Trucks. (2-day assignment)
• We’ve got a few driving assignments available for hams 25 yrs or older, driving brand new Toyota pickup trucks. (2-day assignment)

Contact Lee Besing N5NTG via email or by phone (210-771-7075) to get more info.