Once again we setup our Field Day operation down at Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach. It was an ideal day to be down by the water – a nice warm clear day with a cooling breeze off of the water. You really couldn’t ask for a better day and setup to enjoy being in outdoors. [Working Field]

The majority of the club members were on site shortly before 10AM and we quickly secured the area we used last year and parked in front of it to provide easy equipment off loading. This year we operated HF with Ralph’s IC-706 into his home made vertical which was built from the remains of the beam he lost earlier this year in the wind. Eric brought his IC-208H for VHF operation along with his 2m beam and his new 10 section aluminum 37 foot mast. Jay also brought his portable HF QRP radio, the Yaesu FT-817, to demonstrate – quite a neat little thing

First up were our tables, Ralph’s Antenna, and then a large tarp Jim brought which provided our main protection from the sun. Eric’s 10x10 day tent came next. Finally we assembled the 10 section mast for the 2m beam. We quickly got the first 8 sections up with little problem. But the ninth section started to tax our unpracticed assembly skill – we had a huge curvature in the mast and we were fearful of it falling over. So rather than push our luck we decided to leave the last section out and concentrate on getting it properly vertical. Once up it looked quite impressive.

Then we noticed it was now 11AM and the bands were full of stations calling. So we got busy making contacts and made 75 between the two radios over the next 3.5 hours. We had almost as many VHF contacts as HF! By 2:30 Jim needed to head out and as he was the only one who could pull the trailer with the larger items on it, we decided to pack up and head home. So it wasn’t a long period down there but we did stay longer than last year and make more contacts. We also had a visit from the local newspaper photographer who later published a photo of Ralph working his HF rig.

Over-all it was a successful club event with all but one of the regular members participating. Stuart – assigned latrine duty from previous activities, found that he had a critical meeting across the straight on Vancouver Island for the day!