Field Day 2017

CQ CQ CQ! Field Day 2017 is coming up quick!

The Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club is inviting all local Amateur Operators to come and join in on the F/D activities that will take place starting Friday afternoon June 23rd around 1 pm and ending Sunday noon June 25th. Again this year we will be operating from the Crow Wing County Fair Ground located in South East Brainerd. We will have radios set up in the ECOM Trailer to operate the Club Station or bring your own antenna and equipment and see how well your portable station will work. If you’d like you can camp overnight or just come for the day.

 

If you do bring your own antenna, we’d encourage you to enter the Field Day Antenna Contest.
You’ll also be able to follow our progress throughout the day! Once Field Day begins, we’ll post the link here.

Field Day 2017 – Antenna Contest

Second Annual Field Day Antenna Contest

I am pleased to announce that back by popular demand! We will be hosting the Second Annual Field Day Antenna Contest! Where Terry “The Antenna Whisperer” will be defending his title and hoping to win the new traveling trophy!
The goal of this contest is to inspire creativity in others, and interest them in the wonderful hobby of amateur radio. And of course have fun and win bragging rights for a year!
Ballets and ballet box will be located outside or in the club trailer.

Rules!

1. All antennas must be home-made, but parts for them can be purchased.
2. You can use a stock antenna, as long as you do something to make it “non-standard”, or use it in a way not listed as “recommended” by the manufacturer.
3. Must make at least 1 contact during the field day event hours, or else all votes cast for that antenna will be invalid.
4. Antennas will be judged on design, looks, and/or creativity. Not performance.
5. Each field day attendee (doesn’t have to be a HAM) gets to cast one vote for the most “hammed up” antenna.
6. Participants must write up a short summary on their antenna. Name, inspiration, parts used, any other fun facts.
7. Voting will take place Saturday 12pm to Sunday 9am. Results to follow.

PAUL BUNYAN TOUR OF LAKES BIKE RIDE

The Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club supported the Paul Bunyan Tour of Lakes Bike Ride on Saturday, June 3, 2017. We operated Net Control and APRS Tracking from the CW Sheriff’s trailer. Thank you to the Sheriff’s Dept. for letting us use their trailer. We had 820+ bike riders this year. We had eleven radio operators working this event. We supported a 35 mile short ride and a 65 mile long ride.

We would like to thank Steve NØCRM, Mitch ADØHJ and Al WØRC for handling Net Control and the APRS tracking; Bob K6RCO, Terry KIØFW, Rick NØSEH and Michael KEØAFZ covered the rest stops and let net control know when they needed to dispatch a SAG wagon to a rider on the route. Roger WØWUG was our Rover. We had six SAG wagons on the routes this year, but only three of them had radio operators. Mark KEØLFQ, Alan AAØAS and Shirley KØDCW were SAG wagon radio operators.

We had beautiful but humid weather for the Bike Tour this year. We did not have any serious injuries or mishaps this year. The root beer floats at the end of the Bike Tour were great!

Thank You to all our radio operators!

Al W0RC and Shirley K0DCW