Youthnet NEWS Issue 4
Youthnet NEWS 004
6/19/94
Alexis Leynes N9KYJ
E-mail: AlexN9KYJ@aol.com
BBS: N9KYJ@W9ZMR.IL.USA.NOAM
Topics:
- Field day tips (For the young ham)
Field day tips and hints (for the young ham).
Field day- (my) definition (adjective) it is two days in June where a few or many hams gather and try to connect to other stations across the nation with a separate power supply and station under diverse conditions. If you would like to go to your clubs field day, there might be a few problems for the young ham.
Read on if your parents are not hams. If they are hams and are going, my best of luck to you.
If your parents like others I have encountered who are not hams, they would probably ask what is field day. Ask a fellow ham to help you. My definition for field day is 24 hrs of non-stop communications, trying to sharpen one's skill in emergency communications under diverse operating conditions. The usual field day setup here in Chicagoland is a tent (or tents), with a station in each, a power generator or two (maybe 8), a few dozen hams, a bed or two, and of course food. Be strait with your parents. Tell them that field day will help you enhance your radio operating skills and resourcefulness, because field day is a time where you are tested on resourcefulness.
Now if your parents approve of you going to field day, but they ask how long it takes, tell the truth. Field day is a two day event. With setup on the Saturday morning, the kickoff at noon, the long run through the night and packing at noon the next day (may differ according to your club, void where prohibited). Your parents might be asking that it might be dangerous out there for you at field day. To tell the truth, it can be dangerous. A solution is to have one of your parents come with you. Another if one of the hams at field day is a family friend ask this person to talk to your parents. It is better to be safe than sorry. I remember the time I went to my first field day. It was cold, I was in a tent, I operated all night and as a summary, it was fun.
Field day is also a great opportunity to get your community involved. Bring your friends along to show amateur radio at its finest (if they don't want to go, tell them there will be food if there will be some, but don't try to force them). This may show what amateur radio is all about.
If this is your first field day, and you have never gone below 50 MHz, you will be in for a big surprise. Imagine a room of 10 people talking to each other (like the character Donald Duck) at the same time. That is what you will hear on every frequency below 50 MHz SSB (might be a bit exaggerated for some area's). Generally, the lower band frequencies are not this crowded. My point is that you will learn how to "filter" out each random call out there on frequency.
This is just a bit of what I have about field day. I hope your field day is a success and may you enjoy it.
Final note:
I would like to thank all for your memo's via the Internet and Packet. If you noticed that Jennie Finch N9SAK's callsign is not on the header of this report, I would like to point out that Jennie Finch has moved to another part of the United States (Rochester, New York to be exact). If you sent a message to Jennie's E-mail address or Packet address, please re-send it to mine. If you have not yet received any response from me, please re-send the message. I would also like to thank the many people across the country who has downloaded these reports onto various phone BBS's themselves.
73's DE Alex N9KYJ Youthnet NEWS
