After Action Field Day Report

 

Field Day for the ham radio club was kind of a bust. I went Friday evening to help set up but I was the only one there. I called the president of the club and he said they cancelled out due to the heat. An announcement had been sent out over the radio but my radio is in the truck, which is kept in the garage, so no notice there.

 

I went back Saturday morning to help and we got the antenna strung in the trees. One of my former students is a club member and was going to help people make a portable antenna. He furnished all of the materials and guided me through the process. Upon completion, he installed it on his radio and right away made contact with a ham in Utah. Pretty impressive. 

Equally impressive is the knowledge of my former student. Like a lot of guys that ran through the shop over the years, he was kind of a knucklehead when I had him. Other than shop classes, he wasn't too interested in much else the school had to offer him. He later joined the Marines and got interested in radios while deployed. He took his "Extra" license test the same night I took my "General" test. Smart guy. Builds all his own antennas. He got a chuckle out of our teacher-student roles being reversed. Proud of him.

I went back over Sunday morning to help break down everything, but they had most everything done by the time I got there. Other than the antenna and a conversation with one of the hams about some sheet metal work on an old Alfa Romeo he's restoring, I didn't get much out of Field Day this year. I'm guessing the heat had a lot to do with the lack of turn-out. That, and the fact that most of the members are 50 plus, and I would guess, not in the best physical condition. Makes me wonder how much help they would be in the event of a serious emergency. That being said, nice group of people just the same.