FIELD DAY 1995 @ KA2BEO

Another great Field Day has come and gone. Post Field Day depression
set in the next day, and plans were already starting for the next one
in '96. The rain really put a hamper on things. We planned on setting
up in a 9' x 13' two-room tent outside, but ended up in Bill's
(KB2RAR) basement. Even there, we got all wet. Water poured down the
stairs a few times, during the heavy rain. I planned for this one six
months in advance, and worked right up to the night before on
finishing the construction of several projects. I wrote and tested our
Field Day logging software for the laptop. It worked well, but I
didn't get the sorter done, so all dupe sheets had to be sorted
manually in a word-processor. I designed and built (just in time) a
12vdc @ 60A portable gas generator with a 5hp lawn-mower engine and a
car alternator. This also worked great through the entire weekend. I
also designed and built a digital voice keyer with four message
capability. However, this was the one project I didn't get completed
in time, so I just used it as a junction box for my microphones and
foot-switch. Again, packet this year didn't work for us. We made one
packet contact, but it turned out to be one-way only. Also, this year
we tried a solar-powered station. But running 10W out into a sea of
QRM (and pile-ups) turned out to be useless. We couldn't make even one
QRP contact! Higher power contacts however were plentiful. We made
almost twice as many as last year. All-in-all it was our best Field
Day yet. 'see you all next year! Rob, KA2BEO.

PS - The "antique" 120vac generator in the photo was put together by
me (KA2BEO) and Bert O'Leary, W2HHK (now a silent key) for Field Day
1981. We brought it out to FD '95 for good luck.