The Carroll County Amateur Radio Club is operating a multi-transmitter Field Day site. We have two stations operating phone (ham talk for “voice”), one operating CW (ham talk for “Morse code”), one operating digital modes (ham talk for “text”), and one operating via amateur radio satellites.
The picture at the left shows Curt WB8YYY operating my low-powered CW rig. His left hand is adjusting the tuning knob. The laptop is used to log the contacts with other stations and to log the radio settings. His telegraph key is just out of the frame on the right.
Some years, the club goes all out to score the most points we can. This year, Field Day is laid back. At around 6:30 this evening, we stopped operating and had a picnic. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors.
Sounds fun and relaxing. You deserve both. Enjoy!
Reblogged this on Dead Citizen's Rights Society.
Good stuff, sir.
Have been a licensed ham for 56 years and have been on many, many field days except for those when OCONUS. Licensed Extra for many years, it is only because of Internet predators like BS, NR, BK, MO and a few other psychopaths that I cannot list it here. Thank you for bringing sanity to this madness.
A late thought…..if we could strap you know who’s hand to a key, it could simulate a ‘numbers’ station with his ‘jiggles’. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
But like anything else he does, it wouldn’t make any sense.
OK. It’s 2014. I’ve heard about amateur radio all my life. I have always been interested, but never found a mentor to guide me. Back in the day you had to actually “build” your rig. I assume today you just buy the parts and put them together. The antenna is the black art. You buy one or you string wires and make one.
If I decided I was all in, how much would it cost? Money-wise, time-wise, effort wise? Just to get a license and have a rig that would get me on the air? I understand it’s like photography or motorcycle maintenance. Everybody has a different threshold of satisfaction. But what would it take to have fun?
Morse code is no longer required. The entry level license exam is a 35-question test on basic theory and regulations. It’s possible to get a station on the air with used equipment for a few hundred bucks.
More info at arrl.org.