Outing:VHF NFD 2013

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[[|]] | Current Outing:

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Outing (to be) held from 09:00 on 2013/07/06 - 15:00 on 2013/07/07 in/on Off A339 Northwest of Basingstoke

 

VHF National Field Day 2013

Anyone is welcome to join us, whether to spectate, operate the contest stations, or just to chat! Follow G3KMI on Twitter for updates.

We will be using G3KMI/P on 6m, 2m and 70cm.

Keep an eye on MET Office Forecast

See Lessons Learnt from last year, photos from last year.

Location

We will be using a fantastic hilltop near Basingstoke site with permission from the landowner through Basingstoke ARC, the site is ~160m ASL and has great views from north-west through to south-east.

• Locator: IO91KH

• Google Map

Bands

50MHz

• Restricted for the first 8 hours of the contest, under G3KMI/P.

Kit

• FT920 (Uni)
• 10m mast
• 6m Beam + Coax
• Tent (Uni)

144MHz

• Restricted under G3KMI/P.

Kit

• IC7400
• 10m mast
• 2m Beam + Coax
• Caravan

432MHz

• Low Power under G3KMI/P

Kit

• FT-897
• 10m mast
• 70cm Beam + Coax
• Masthead Preamp + Injector
• Tent (Uni)

Planning

Preparation

• Investigate SDV under Wine (Phil)
  • Works but clunky, suggest native/vm
• 3G Wifi + IRC
• Production of CQs for Voice Keyer
• Construction of Steadicams (Tyler)

Kit

Radio Kit

• FT920 (Phil)
• PC speakers for FT920 (Phil)
• Power supply for the FT920 (Tyler)
• Mains Extension leads (morse, Phil)
• RCD + Current meter (morse)

Group Kit

• Tables - more are better (morse has one, Phil has one)
• Chairs - more are better (morse has three, Tyler has one, Phil has one)
• 2 Operating tents (need to be able to stand up, morse has one, Tyler has one)
• Mosquito repellent (morse anti-mozzi candles)
• Laptops (EVERYONE)
• Logging software (sdv)
• Cameras (Phil, Tyler)
• Batteries and chargers for Cameras
• Steady Cam mount (built by Tyler)
• External hard disk (Phil)
• SD Memory cards (Tyler has ordered a load)
• Sown-node + 12V adapters (morse)
• multi battery charger (Tyler,Phil)
• G3KMI banners (Phil)
• Lighting - (morse has two LED - mains desk lamps)

Food - (morse)

• Bread
• Bacon
• Sausages
• Eggs
• Margerine
• Oil
• Large pan
• Pesto
• Ketchup and Mayonnaise
• Lemonade/Cola
• Tea/Coffee
• Milk
• Sugar
• Cake
• Beer (honesty bar - not everyone drinks)

Menu:
  Lunch: Bacon Sandwiches
  Dinner: Pesto (bacon optional)
  Midnight snacks: Pot noodles
  Breakfast: Fry up (bacon, sausages, eggs)
  Lunch: Bacon Sandwiches

Individual Kit

• Waterproofs
• Boots
• Towel
• Sleeping bag if staying overnight
• Foam mats or camp-bed (morse has two mats, one camp-bed)
• Mug and Cutlery
• Suncream - if it fails to be wet
• Change of clothes if it is very very wet.
• Petrol contribution - if you have an appropriate container.
• Mosquito repellent
• Headphones + adapters (Tyler has 2 adapters)
• Torches + batteries

Club members: Sign up here

Lessons Learnt

• Henry should prepare, bring a sleeping bag...
• Phil has hayfever

• The generator is quite loud - longer power cables to allow us to put it further away.
• packing the car took far too long - do it the night before
• antennas should be further away from each other - we should at least test the interference by deliberately transmitting at each other.

• it was hot, bring ore water - freeze the water bottles
• bring cool bag, the fridge wasn't big enough for everything

• operating in a gazeebo may be cooler than in tents - air flow.
• we should have more specific quantities of food (pasta:water)
• we need a measuring contraption for food (mass/volume)

• don't leave the back of Phil's car open - the battery goes flat
• remove the fuse from Phil's car's interior lights

• check PSUs don't drop too much voltage during transmit

• align the rotator arms with north
• mark north on the floor

• have a separate sleeping tent from any other storage

• bring a spade to move farming by-products

• hi-viz the tent guys (and masts) for moving around at night (glow sticks?)
• same goes for power cables