By Chip Coker KD4C
Field Day 2021 is a wrap! A huge thanks to Jon NN5T for having the equipment and antennas prepped, and for Don N5SKT having a complete ready-to-go digital station (borrowed from his POTA setup).
Setup at the EOC took just a bit less than 2 hours, with the hardest part being uncoiling 3 x 150’ lengths of RG-8 and pounding some stakes in the ground to support the verticals. We ended up with 3 stations (CW, Digital, and SSB) and just swapped coax to move to a different band (40M, 20M, 15/10M, and 6M). Jon was in for the long haul on CW, and Don did most of the Digital, with several guest Ops throughout the day. Grant W5XJ cruised in and assumed the SSB throne and there were several others that took turns on the microphone later in the afternoon (myself included), along with several guest loggers. We stopped just after 8pm and were cleaned up and out of the EOC by 9pm (and thanks to Scott KG5MKC for being the perfect host!). Field Day Light, indeed!
Throughout the afternoon, we had several members and visitors who operated, logged, or just came by for moral support, which we welcomed! Several got to see their first Field Day. One of my oversights was forgetting to provide a sign-in sheet, so I did my best to keep a mental log: N5TIM John Galvin (NTX Asst SEC), Shawn KI5PXG (and his brother in law + kid), John WB5HSI & Phyllis KA5RJX, Chris WX7V, Bob W5RLP, Kevin N2QIN, Kane K5ANE, Chris KV2T, David K5CU, Stephen KI5IIL and his son KI5IMO (who did a good job operating FT-8), Randy K5GLD, Katherine KB8DAA, Bill NX5R, Blake N7PKJ, Dave WA5TET, Mike KG5P, and Katherine KT5KMF (NTX Youth Coordinator) & “Mrs. Driver”.
If I left you off the list (and I know there were another 5 or so that I know I forgot), please send me a message so we can add you to the official count and log. And thanks to those that took pics and sent them to me – I will have a post with pics up on the website soon.
I know it wasn’t a “normal” Field Day, but it still turned out well and I think everyone had fun (and almost no interference!). We will try for the full 24 hours next year, with BBQ and all the trimmings.
Thanks and ‘73
Chip Coker KD4C
RWK President 2021
