Well… a good nites sleep on Sunday evening and a good nites sleep on Monday Night and I think I have re charged the batteries after the fantastic field day I just had…
After all these years I think I have finally got the perfect place for Field Day in my mind…
Its not really an emergency exercise…. I just can’t see me ever having to talk across the country in any emergency senario… Amateur Radio seems to be used more for communications out of the effected area rather than for point to point communications…
Its not really a contest because the structure is not there and the operators are for the most part too green to be contesters…
It is however an excellent introduction to amateur radio for the general public and the newer hams… When I guest operated at the Ottawa Amateur Radio Club Site I noticed lots of new blood (and a few of the old pharts) instlling antennas and operating the radios. A few of the real new hams most likely set up their first HF antenna and made their first HF contact this weekend…
As the OARC site and the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club sites were located in Public Places I saw amateurs taking the time to describe the goings on to non amateurs (members of the public) and so our hobby was showcased to the public…
For me it was a great social event mixed in with some operating as I managed to get the FT 817/W3EDP combo fired up and made some contacts on Sunday from a nature walk area just south of Ottawa… The scores were nothing to talk about but contacts were made from coast to coast on 5w of ssb and dang it we had fun…
So now lets look ahead to whats happening for the rest of this week…
Tomorrow (Wednesday) a bunch of us are planning to head out of Ottawa around noon to noon thirty and motor south of Ottawa to the St Lawrence Seaway Lock Station at Iroquois.
Most of the participants so far are from the VE3ORF/3730 Group out of Ottawa and the surrounding area.
We hope to arrive and be on the air by around 2pm. The purpose of this visit will be to play radio from the Island that the Lock Station Park is located on as well as meet and greet the Bionic Nerd NR4CB as she makes her way west from VE2Land on her trip. If you check her blog (above link) you will see that she has been busy for almost a month now and has been sightseeing along with playing radio along the way…
So like I way saying… We set up a HF station at the park along with a VHF station (we will be monitoring the Iroquois Ontario Repeater on 145.290 with a negative offset) once we get set up but will be jumping also to VE2RM repeater on 147.000 with a non standard negative 600 offset rather than the positive offset your radio will try and do… read the book… in case Connie has changed her travel times… As far as HF freqs go we will use whatever band is open. The rig of the day will be my FT897 along with the W3EDP antenna and the LDG Z100 tuner, The power will be supplied by Doug’s marine battery (VE3DLJ) and as we are not sure of frequencies if you happen to hear us please spot us…
We will have a BBQ set up but food is a bring your own style (you supply the grup but we supply the bbq to burn it on) and there is also a take out stand and gift shop at the lockstation as the picnic area is fairly popular during the summer months…
For a little more info on our destination here is their website.
The times are not carved in stone… We will however be set up by around 1400 and will be staying till it ends… If you want to come and visit concider this your invite… If you want to work us on the air then you know where we will be and roughly what times…
This will not be a serious activation of the Island and it is also not an IOTA Island but if you follow the Canadian Islands Programme it is what I believe to be ON271. But as it is not a planned activation you might have to tell the operator of the the Island so he can give it to you for the official contact… The purpose of the trip is to meet NR4CB and we are using that as an excuse for a summer BBQ along with an excuse to set up a station and play radio… No structured events… Just hams having fun…
For those of you who seriously chase islands I believe that there will be an activation of this island in the near future…. Once they recover for field day…
Anyhow… Thats the way it is for now… Hope to see you on the Island and failing that hope to hear you on the air…
73bob
