The ARRL Field Day is fast approaching. This year’s event (always the 4th weekend in June) is scheduled for June 25-26, 2011 and is expected to be bigger than ever. I’ve been an active participant of Field day just about every year since I got my license back in 1999.
Field Day fun with then unlicensed KC9PLI circa 2007.
My first Field Day in 2000 really cemented my love for amateur radio. Once you participate in the event, you get the bug, and can’t wait to make plans for next year’s event. Every year since then, I’ve either helped, organized, or been along for the ride with the local amateur radio club’s Field Day Event. The Wisconsin Valley Radio Association of Wausau, WI been active on the airwaves since 1934 and I’ve found a newspaper article from 1935 referencing their first Field Day setup.
This year I’m taking break and doing something a little different. Instead of setting up a big Field Day extravaganza, myself and three other local hams are putting together a mini expedition and remote camping event. We’ll be totally battery powered along side the shore of a lake somewhere in the woods deep in Northern Wisconsin. Not sure which callsign we’ll use (I’ll update you later on the facebook page), but we are planning to be active on the HF voice and data bands. Running a computer out in the middle of nowhere on battery power should be interesting.
As for Field Day Antennas, this year marks my 10th anniversary of selling J-Pole antennas. I built a J-Pole for FD 2001 and sold it to a local ham after the event. Since that time, I’ve refined my construction and expanded my product line; but a KB9VBR J-Pole has been on the air at just about every FD since that day. I’ve donated several to the club and it usually supports either the APRS demonstration station or provides talk-in on the local repeater.
Get out and on the air and have some fun at Field Day this year.
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