Due to the weather, kid things and school, I've been too busy to play much radio. I did attend our local ARES meeting yesterday. We discussed Field Day and made some tentative plans.
We're going to operate Class F, as an activated EOC. The site will be adjacent to the new courthouse, within view of McDonald's. Very public location, but with shelter from … whatever … just around the corner of the EMA building. In fact, we could operate inside the overhead doors of the building if necessary.
Now that's the plan. Antennas will be inverted vees, probably on masts temporarily lashed up alongside the building. One of the guys has a homebrewed sorta dipole made with hamstick antennas. Full size wires will outplay it, I'm sure, and Field Day maybe isn't the best place to try out a less-gain-than-a-dipole antenna. If 15 and 10 are open, it would nearly full size and worth testing then, so perhaps?
Maybe two stations. We haven't been overrun with operators, so we'll see. Simple is good.
Right now the club is in turmoil. The president resigned due to illness and the last meeting was canceled due to weather. The truth is there's no turmoil, but some folks are getting torn up over it. I'm probably partly to blame.
Due to the president's resignation, I was the only one who could go get a key to the room. I didn't mind, I was going to attend this one anyway. I have a schedule conflict because of the state emcomm net is on Mondays, but I wanted to attend this meeting, I've been absent since October.
The snow began about 3:30 and the road started getting bad about an hour later. By 6 p.m., I had decided I wasn't leaving the house. Even if it wasn't real bad yet, road reports on the scanner indicated conditions were deteriorating rapidly. I made a command decision about 6:10 p.m. to cancel the meeting. Talked with some guys on the repeater who were wondering about it as well. I don't hold an elected office in the club, but I had the key. I dont' regret making that call.
I was a little apprehensive about the ARES group planning FD without including the club, but apparently the thought was to do it seperate and if the club wanted to join in, that was fine. I think a combined effort is a good idea, but I think if it comes across as one group dictating to the other, it won't be much appreciated. The club is bigger than the emcomm group and we're all members of both, so cooperation is called for, me thinks.
I sold a few things on eBay to add to my radio fund … but I've played radio so damn little, is it worth buying a new radio? I could really put the money toward a tractor, but frankly, I would like to play with a new Yaesu FT-2000 and DMU.
It is interesting how many of FT-2000s you see for sale. A lot of guys buy them and you either give it time to grow on you (and learn the rig) or you sell it in frustration. I enjoyed the time I got to operate the rig, and would love to have one.
Ham Station in Evansville has a returned unit that they have priced for something like $2199. I am leery of buying one off eBay, I hear there's a factory menu that if it gets messed up you have to have reset by a professional. We'll see.
Speaking of eBay, the strike is supposed to begin now, so we'll see if it has any effect. I probably should have listed all my stuff this week, lol! The eBay users promoting the strike say you're a scab if you use the site this week of the strike. I don't think they'll be more than a blip on the national news once or twice this week.
I'm headed to Owensboro this week, then the Cave City Hamfest is a week from Saturday. Maybe I can call Dan and have him bring an FT-2000 to the hamfest?? Hmm …. show me the money.
73 de ky4z … dit dit