Outing:VHF NFD 2015

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VHF National Field Day 2015

Anyone is welcome to join us, whether to spectate, operate the contest stations, or just to chat! Follow G3KMI on Twitter for updates.

The contest is from 1400 (UTC) on Saturday 4th to 1400 (UTC) on Sunday 5th. Basingstoke ARC (BARC) will be joining us. The following callsigns will be in use:

• Saturday: G3KMI/P on 6m
• Sunday: G3TCR/P (BARC) on 4m
• Both days: G3KMI/P (BARC) on 70cm (with a break overnight), G3TCR/P on 2m (all the time)

Keep an eye on MET Office Forecast

See the contest rules.

See Lessons Learnt from last year.

Location

We will be using a hillside to the West of Basingstoke with permission from the landowner through Basingstoke ARC.

• Locator: IO91JG
• 51.27933, -1.1892

Train ticket is £14.60 from Southampton. Feel free to call Phil on 077 4333 6864, before heading to Basingstoke station, and we can organise someone to go and pick you up.

Bands

50 MHz (6m)

• Operating under the "Restricted" (R) section on Saturday, for the first 8 hours of the contest (1400 to 2200), under G3KMI/P.

Kit

• FT-920 (PSUWS)
• 10m mast
• 6m Beam + Coax
• Tent (morses?)

70 MHz (4m)

• Operating under the "Restricted" (R) section under G3TCR/P (Basingstoke ARC) on Sunday.

144 MHz (2m)

• Operating under the "Restricted" section under G3TCR/P both days, all the time.

Kit

• IC7400 (Richard?)
• Voice Keyer (Basingstoke)
• 10m mast
• 2m Beam + Coax
• Caravan

432 MHz (70cm)

• Operating under the "???" section under G3KMI/P (Basingstoke ARC) both days, with a break over-night.

Kit

• IC-7000 (SUWS)
• 12V 10A PSU (SUWS)
• 10m mast
• 70cm Beam + Coax
• Tent (TBC)

Who's bringing what

• Henry:
  • Desk lamp
  • Camera tripod
  • PSU (bananas)
  • Camera
  • Large frying pan
  • Metal cutlery

• Christian
  • Camera
  • Chair (at least 1)

• Tyler:
  • PSU
  • 1 chair
  • Bananas to powerpole adapter
  • Camera

• Phil
  • Minifridge
  • Petrol container
  • Cooking stove
  • Gopro
  • Camera tripod
  • FT-920
  • IC7000
  • Pens and paper
  • Desk lamp
  • 13A mains cable (remember all the parts required!)
  • 1 table
  • 1 chair
  • 1 tent
  • G3KMI banners

• Mr Cage
  • Powerpole splitter
  • Morse's table

Planning

Preparation

• Masts to be set up from 1pm on Friday afternoon. Radios and tents to be set up on Saturday morning.
• Familiarise new-comers with the SDV contest logger.
• Investigate SDV under Wine (Phil) - Works but clunky, suggest native/vm
• 3G Wifi + IRC
• Production of CQs for Voice Keyer.

Kit

Radio Kit

• FT920 (Phil)
• PC speakers for FT920 (Phil)
• Power supply for the FT920 (Tyler)
• Mains Extension leads (morse, Phil)
• RCD + Current meter (morse)

Group Kit

• Tables - more are better (morse has one, Phil has one)
• Chairs - more are better (morse has three, Tyler has one, Phil has one, Christian has one)
• 2 Operating tents (need to be able to stand up, morse has one)
• Sleeping Tent (Phil, Christian)
• Mosquito repellent (morse anti-mozzi candles)
• Laptops (EVERYONE)
• Logging software (sdv)
• Cameras (Phil, Tyler)
• Video camera, charger and tripod (Christian)
• GoPro (Phil) & mounts(?)
• Batteries and chargers for Cameras
• Steady Cam mount (built by Tyler)
• Multi battery charger (Tyler,Phil)
• G3KMI banners (Phil)
• Lighting - (morse has two LED desk lamps (mains+12v))

Food - (morse)

• Bread
• Bacon
• Sausages
• Burgers (+ buns?)
• Eggs
• Margarine
• Large pan
• Pesto
• Cheese to go with pesto
• Pasta
• Ketchup and Mayonnaise
• Lemonade/Cola
• Tea/Coffee
• Milk
• Sugar
• Cake
• LOTS of water

• Beer - BYOB

Menu:
  Lunch: Bacon Sandwiches
  Dinner: Pesto (bacon optional)
  Midnight snacks: Vintage Pot noodles
  Breakfast: Fry up (bacon, sausages, eggs)
  Lunch: Bacon Sandwiches

Individual Kit

• Waterproofs
• Boots
• Towel
• Sleeping bag if staying overnight
• Foam mats or camp-bed
• Mug and Cutlery
• Suncream - if it fails to be wet
• Change of clothes if it is very very wet.
• Petrol contribution - if you have an appropriate container.
• Mosquito repellent
• Headphones + adapters (Tyler has 2 adapters)
• Torches + batteries
• Laptop each?

Lessons Learnt from last year

• Henry should prepare, bring a sleeping bag...
• Phil has hayfever

• The generator is quite loud - longer power cables to allow us to put it further away.
• packing the car took far too long - do it the night before
• antennas should be further away from each other - we should at least test the interference by deliberately transmitting at each other.

• it was hot, bring more water - freeze the water bottles
• bring cool bag, the fridge wasn't big enough for everything

• operating in a gazebo may be cooler than in tents - air flow.
• we should have more specific quantities of food (pasta:water)
• we need a measuring contraption for food (mass/volume)

• don't leave the back of Phil's car open - the battery goes flat
• remove the fuse from Phil's car's interior lights

• check PSUs don't drop too much voltage during transmit

• align the rotator arms with north
• mark north on the floor

• have a separate sleeping tent from any other storage

• bring a spade to move farming by-products

• hi-viz the tent guys (and masts) for moving around at night (glow sticks?)
• same goes for power cables