Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Hams and Friends,
We are nearing our annual 2019 Field Day exercise that will take place again in the month of June, specifically 22-23 June 2019, at the Patuxent River Air Museum, 2nd building, location in the back portion of the property, the address is 22156 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, MD 20653.
A grand thank you to our club president Rob Hoyt N2OMC, our club member director Pete Butt WA3UMY, and the Patuxent River Museum Board of Directors for negotiating and welcoming the K3HKI team into the museum location for the 2019 Field Day exercise.
Conducting this annual event in a public location will serve twofold. It gives us an opportunity to operate from a location that will be fully accessible to the public possibly gaining interested new members, and it will expose the public museum visiting personnel into a service that has been a portion of HF operating in our military structure for many years.
While we operated as a group last year, I met many new members as I returned into the hobby/service from being off-air for quite some time. Our 2018 K3HKI Field Day exercise was very successful on many bands and increased our contacts threefold from years prior. In the hopes that we can continue that trend, I’d like to solicit YOUR inputs as club members as a planning part of this FD event. This isn’t just MY field day, it is yours too and you have a say in it.
First, I think we can increase our transmitter size and run in the 4A category. The additional station will be running Digital modes. Whether it be PSK-31, RTTY or the recently authorized FT8 mode. Each digital mode single contact is 2 point with the multipliers. With that being said, we have quite a few members that are duly familiar with the FT8 mode now and find it quite exciting. I know you are out there and I will call upon you to operate a little, train others, or simply over-the-shoulder look and help those who aren’t proficient at FT8/digital operating.
If we do this, I will need full commitment from everyone, to keep this extra station fully manned, we will need constant participation from all to keep this station running for the full operating period. Next month (May) I will be starting a sign-up sheet in 2-hour blocks for each station. You will be able to select YOUR operating period of commitment as it will fit into your schedule.
If we run four transmitters, and if low participation occurs, we do have the ability to pull one transmitter offline to keep things going, but I’d rather not.
Second, the club needs a volunteer person to put together a table which will consist of Information Packets, Handouts, and Display – much like a project board for schoolwork. It should contain a visual display of Amateur Radio principles, the public service provided and other topics. There is no set requirement. The person setting up the table will choose.
Third, I’d like to find the club banner. We need to have it ready for deployment to the public on site at the Patuxent River Museum during Field Day. If you have the banner, please let me know.
Fourth, we as a club, will need volunteers for different areas of topic and I will solicit those people at our next two meetings (April and May) prior to Field Day.
Lastly, remember, this is YOUR Field Day exercise too! And you have an input and/or say! Please send your ideas and thoughts to me, Tony, N5TB at barrettac@md.metrocast.net
I will be tracking your comments, thoughts and ideas for implementation.
I’m looking forward to another great year with all of you on our Annual Field Day Exercise at K3HKI !!
Sincerely,
N5TB
Tony Barrett