June 9, 2021…
SLSRC is holding Field Day in person this year!
It’s time to get together to practice operations at a portable / temporary setup and see how well we can make contact with other groups in “emergency” conditions. Come make eyeball QSOs, check out STL ARES, and try making over-the-air QSOs on the busiest day on the airwaves.
There are a few important notes about this year’s event to call attention to:
- SLSRC will not be providing food this year due to ”public” food handling concerns, but we will provide bottled water. We hope conditions will allow us to be able to get back to normal next year.
- The “dinner” meeting will still be held at 5:00 pm, but it will be BYOS – bring your own stuff
- food
- any non-water non-alcoholic beverages
- utensils
- anything else you need
- feel free to share only commercially individually wrapped items with others
- Masks are not required based on recent notices from the St Louis County parks department. If you wish to wear a mask, please feel free. Please exercise caution to not over exert yourself in the heat or if you have breathing problems. If you feel sick, please stay home and take care of yourself.
- For those who wish to use them, we will have cleaning supplies available to clean the radio/computer/headsets before use.
- Radio stations will be spaced roughly 8 feet apart facing outward from picnic tables in the shelter.
- Home operation is allowed and you may add your log entry to the club’s overall score.
- Limits of 150 watts apply personally.
- You may operate at each of your personal (using your call sign at another site) and the club station (using the club call sign). if you work both, you cannot submit a QSO between your personal and the club call signs for either log.
- Submissions will only be added to our official score if “St Louis & Suburban Radio Club” is used as the club name on the ARRL submission form. Use the search results only. Other values won’t be matched with the club submission.
- Additional rules apply.
- Seating will be very limited, even more so if you wish to stay socially distanced. It is recommended you bring a lawn or portable chair to support social distancing.
Setup and Teardown: The club would appreciate any and all volunteers to assist with getting the stations set up and torn down. Setup will be 9 am to 1 pm Saturday the 26th, and teardown is expected to start at 1:00 pm Sunday and continue until the site has been cleaned up. Assistance is welcome even if you don’t have radio and antenna experience. Please email fieldday@slsrc.org if you are willing to help at these times.
Education:
- STL ARES will talk about emergency communications and how they operate. There may be opportunities to practice copying message traffic as if sent over the air, bring a notepad and a writing implement if you’d like to try copying a message.
- Fox Hunting – we intend to run a low powered fox (transmitter sending Morse code -and/or tones) in the park. We intend to demonstrate techniques to go locate the fox and then turn you loose to go find it! If you wish to search, having a directional antenna with a narrow receive or null pattern is recommended and a handy talkie with a signal strength meter. Baofengs and similar single chip transceivers (typically lower priced radios) are not recommended as they get overloaded easily. See the May 2021 presentation and the two kit build videos from March and April on the SLSRC YouTube channel for more information.
Can’t wait to see you all in person!l at McDonnell Park, 2961 Adie Rd, Saint Ann, MO 63074. Our pavilion is the first pavilion visible right at the entrance to the park.
Between sunset and sunrise, enter using the “exit” lane and watch for oncoming traffic.