FARL-LARC Field Day 2018

1. FARL-LARC Field Day 2018 David Treharne FARL Club Meeting, June 14, 2018 Club Meeting Version

2. 2018 Field Day • What: An annual 24 hour outdoor operating event to demonstrate and practice Amateur Radio emergency operating skills. • Who: Open to both existing amateur radio operators and to anyone interested in radio. • When: Saturday and Sunday, June 23rd-24th, 2018. Setup at 10:00am on Saturday, operating begins 2pm Saturday, ends 2pm Sunday. • Stations: LARC is planning on 3A-4A. Voice, Morse Code, and maybe Digital. Includes a Get On the Air Station exclusively for new operators. • Where: 37855 Lyndon St, Livonia, MI 48154 • Sponsors: Livonia Amateur Radio Club and the Ford Amateur Radio League • LARC Field Day Chair: Mike Rudzki, N8MR) • FARL Field Day Chair: David Treharne (N8HKU)

3. Summary versus prior years 2017 2016 2015 CW Contacts were down 62% versus last year, phone and digital were up. A major drop in overall contacts on 40m and 80m, partially offset by 20m and 15m, and by the digital station. Overall, down 5% in contacts.

4. Our Score Ranking 2017 vs 2016 2017 Scores • Our score for class 4A was 6,816 points. • #1 (of 6 entries) in class 4A in Michigan • #4 (of 92 entrants) for all of Michigan • #2 (of 14 entrants) in class for the Great Lakes Division • #17 (of 272 entrants) in the Great Lakes Division overall • #14 (of 133 entries) in 4A overall for all Field Day submissions • #134 (of 2,964 entrants) overall for all Field Day submissions 2016 Scores • Our score for class 4A was 7,582 points. • #1 (of 6 entrants) in class 4A in Michigan • #2 (of 94 entrants) for all of Michigan • #3 (of 16 entrants) in class 4A for the Great Lakes Division • #8 (of 132 entrants) in Great Lakes Division overall • #12 (of 132 entrants) in class 4A for all Field Day submissions • #81 (of 2,696 entrants) overall for all Field Day Submissions Overall: The reduction in CW contacts (worth double points) and the loss of significant Bonus points dropped our score and rankings.

5. Top Bands for Field Day Conclusion: No matter what the time in the sunspot cycle, our best bands are 40m, 80m, and 20m. Prediction for this year: 40m, 20m, 80m. • 2002: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m • 2003: 40m, 20m, 15m, 80m • 2004: 40m, 80m, 20m, 15m • 2005: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m • 2006: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m • 2007: 40m, 80m, 20m, 15m • 2008: 20m, 40m 80m, 15m, 10m • 2009: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m, 10m, 160m • 2010: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m, 10m • 2011: 20m, 40m, 15m, 10m, 80m • 2012: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m • 2013: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m • 2014: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m • 2015: 40m, 80m, 20m, 15m, 10m • 2016: 40m, 80m, 20m, 15m, 6m, 10m • 2017: 40m, 20m, 80m, 15m, 10m, 6m By NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center - Solar Cycle Progression Data, Public Domain, https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/solar-cycle-24-status-and-solar-cycle-25-upcoming-forecast

6. Site Layout- 2018 Edition Porta potty The food tent is a white tent shelter, solid sides, can enclose the ends. Nearby are two picnic tables Livonia Fire Department Inflatable Tent Red Lines are the antennas N Food Digital (LARC) GOTA SSB2 GOTA Station antenna (vertical) LARC SSB2 AntennaG5RV Jr SSB1- FARL FARL SSB1 Antenna G5RV CW Station Antenna (different antenna vs last year CW

7. Schedule Sunday 7:00AM: Breakfast (FARL to supply.) 12:00PM: Lunch 2:00PM: Operating Event Ends 3:00PM: Teardown complete Other Events: Training Session Satellite Work Friday: 3:00PM: Wire antenna set-up: Bill Allen, KD8KTF 6:00PM: Onsite set-up of tents, campers. (Security overnight). Saturday: 8:00AM - Weekly club breakfast @ Senate Coney Island (Plymouth Road and Stark Road) 10:0AM - Equipment setup 11:00AM- FARL copies the Bulletin (voice) 12:30PM- Lunch 1:00PM- Safety Briefing 2:00 PM - Field Day operations begin 6:00PM- Dinner

8. Operating Set-up • Using K8UNS as main station call • Using K8UTT as GOTA station call • Operating 3A or 4A • CW station Tent (Mike, N8MR) • New antenna setup, one they can load for transmit! • SSB 1 Station: All HF except 40m. (FARL- Dave, N8HKU) (Using Tom Bray’s (W8TJB)Airstream) • G5RV • SSB 2 Station: 40m only (Tent or camper: Alan (N8BTU)) • Antenna: G5RV Jr or full size • Digital Station: (Bill Allen, KD8KTF) • Satellite station: (LARC) Mike, (N8MR) • GOTA Station (LARC) in the Livonia FD Tent

9. Our FARL Station: • FARL Station: • Radio: Club FT-991 • Antenna: Club G5RV • Computer: Dell Computer from Dave, N8HKU • Solar Power Charged battery for Alternative Power Bonus • Everything but 40m. (160m-6m) • Bonus 6m station here, if Tom Bray will bring his kit. • Generator Power: 300 watts needed for basic station, 600 watts if we have a separate VHF station running, xxx watts if the A/C is used. • Tye Winkel, KC8YEJ, as a 2kW unit • Bill Boyke, N8OZV, has a 5kW unit

10. Rules • No rule changes for this year. • Still have GOTA station and GOTA coach bonus • Have bonus for any contacts made by participants under age 18. • Still have Social Media bonus • Still have Educational activity bonus • Exchange is still the same, but the theme is grid chase, so we may be asked for our grid now and then.

11. GOTA Rules • It has been a while since we tried a Get On the Air Station. Here are some of the rules: • 7.3.13. GOTA Bonus. Class A and F stations operating a GOTA station may earn the following bonus points: • 7.3.13.1. When a GOTA operator successfully completes 20 QSOs, they receive 20 bonus points. Upon reaching an additional 20 QSOs the same operator receives a second 20 bonus points, up to a maximum of 100 Bonus points per GOTA operator. An operator may make more than 100 QSOs but the QSOs over 100 do not qualify for an additional bonus. • 7.3.13.1.1. Additional GOTA operators may earn the GOTA bonus points under this rule, up to the maximum of 500 bonus points. (Remember that there is a 500-QSO limit for the GOTA station. But no single GOTA operator may earn more than 100 of the GOTA bonus points except as provided in 7.3.13.2.) • 7.3.13.1.2. A single GOTA operator must complete all 20 QSOs required before the bonus is earned. There is no “partial credit” for making only a portion of the 20 QSOs or “pooling” QSOs between operators. • 7.3.13.2. If a GOTA station is supervised full-time by a GOTA Coach, the bonus points earned for each 20 QSOs completed under Rule 7.3.13.1. will be doubled. • 7.3.13.2.1. The GOTA Coach supervises the operator of the station, doing such things as answering questions and talking them through contacts, but may not make QSOs or perform logging functions. • 7.3.13.2.2. To qualify for this bonus, there must be a designated GOTA Coach present and supervising the GOTA station at all times it is being operated

12. Other Logistics • Message traffic was mentioned this year at the LARC meeting: Mike, N8MR, will organize. • Assigned Safety Officer is expected from the LARC this year. • LARC will put a flyer out to the neighborhood informing them of our activities. • GOTA station with Coaches. We need to help with this coaching if we are to get the bonus points. • Food: Led by Mike, KE8CEH. He stated he will provide meat and vegetarian options. FARL has Sunday breakfast. Will have 2 hot dishes, plus fruit, pastry, pop tarts. • Generator: FARL Generator Bill Boyke: OK for your 3kW unit if we require air conditioning. May use a smaller unit and fans, open windows, etc. Tye: can we use your generator as backup? • Tye Winkel’s is 2.5kW, • Bill Boyke’s (N8OZV) is 4-5kW, but louder • Final fallback: Use an 800W inverter plus a vehicle, such as David’s Fusion Hybrid. • We will run the stations unconnected this year. SSB 2 will run 40m only. SSB1 will run all other HF. • LARC requests we bring 2m handhelds for communication between stations and with the food tent. • Bandpass filters: FARL will bring our sets again. CW tent will bring their own. Probably good to give a 40m filter to SSB2

13. FARL Station Improvements • Station had interference problems from ground loops: • We will use an isolation transformer on the radio audio output, with the speakers and the headphones running from it. This should eliminate all concerns with the problems of feedback and damage. • We had many problems with the radio CAT connection with the computer. It would shut off, and could cause logging to occur on the wrong band, since the radio and the logging computer had to be manually switched individually. • A USB isolation device was tried. This isolates the power supplies from each other, and isolates the Tx and Rx lines through mini-transformers, all contained in an IC. It is good for transmission rates up to 12MBaud. • Dave, N8HKU tried it on his Icom IC 9100, and it eliminated all problems. • This device was tried on the club Yaesu FT-991 and it transmitted both the CAT and the audio codec signals without any problems. (Recommend the club purchase one for permanent use) • Coax: We have a short coax with a choke balun formed by looping the coax. This does not appear to be the original coax. • Recommend the club purchase a new, 80ft to 100ft, length of coax for the station.

14. FARL Station Improvements • Change of configuration of the G5RV antenna: • Use it as a Marconi antenna or Inverted “L” (Looks like a “T” in this case), counterpoised against a ground. • N8HKU has used this for 160m at his home QTH. He used his station ground for a counterpoise. • This antenna configuration may work well for 80m. It certainly may change the coverage map. • The last time we operated 160m was 2009. As we are at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, we need low band help! • The “evening” crew would need to try it out, but it can be tested as part of the set-up on Saturday morning.

15. Marconi Antenna • Use the G5RV as a Marconi antenna by connecting the antenna coax center and shield to the balanced antenna connector, then connect the ground to a ground array. Connect the balun coax to the tuner and radio. • Some designs put additional capacitance in between the antenna and ground. N8HKU did not find a need to do this with the antenna tuner. The antenna tuner found this configuration pretty broadband, and did not take much tuning change across the band. Ladder line and top are all connected as one. Similar to Inverted L Shield and braid to antenna post Wire radials Balun Coax to Antenna Tuner

16. Marconi Antenna • What we need: • 1:1 Balun: will use Dave’s, N8HKU • Extra coax or ground wire for Balun • Radial system: Propose cutting 40m lengths from a spool of wire, attaching eye bolts to one end, connecting them together on a bolt, with one ground to the Balun. 5 40m radials is about 216 ft. Can buy wire from Home Depot

17. Field Day Funding • Expenses: (Total from last year was $139.19) • Sunday Breakfast ($78 last year) • Gasoline for the generator ($12 last year, but Tye donated fuel.) • USB Isolator ($18.99 plus tax from Amazon) • Radial Supplies ($10-$15 of 18ga wire plus misc hardware) • Recommend $200 for this year. • If we need ropes or water or anything, it is within our approved budget.

18. Participation • Who is coming and when?

19. Backup

20. Generator Inverter ones are quiet and fuel efficient Small ones can be carried by 1 person Large ones less expensive per kW LARC has a couple of Honda 2kW, current model is 2200i, $999 Recently, a number of competitor units have arrived at about ½ the cost. Ratings are peak, this one is 2.2kW peak, 1,800 watts steady. (200W more than normal of this size, but Honda has increased their power to 2,200 peak watts as well) 2 can be combined to double the power at 120V.