Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend
Huntington Beach Hospital (HBH)
June 27-28, 2009
Photos by
Joe Moell KØOV (JM)
April Moell WA6OPS (AM)
Dave West KI6EPI (DW)
For the eighth year, HDSCS held its ARRL Field Day operations at Huntington Beach Hospital (HBH). This decontamination tent had April's display of HDSCS awards and information for the public. (JM)
The first order of business was to assemble the biggest antenna, a very large Yagi for 20-15-10 meters with a 40-meter dipole on a military field-erectable tower. The project was so big that we started on Friday afternoon. Fortunately a large crew showed up, as there was lots of hardware to put together. Top left is Tom Hall N6DGK, top right is Dennis Kidder W6DQ with his high-tech level, lower left is Rick Soikkeli AE6RS and lower right is Tim Beringer KI6RVS. Now where did the instructions go? (JM)
Justin Miller KI6AFZ drives in a guy stake under the supervision of Dale Petes KI6ANS and Jim McLaughlin AB6UF. (DW)
Mounting the antenna onto the rotor was like the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi (Iwo Jima). New this year was the large plywood base to keep the bottom section from moving. After it was up, Dennis drove his truck onto the plywood to hold everything in place. (JM)
HBH had us operating in style with three large "surge capacity" tents from its emergency preparedness inventory. In addition to the one on the north side next to the big tower, there were these two on the south side. The one on the left held station #2. The one on the right was for the GOTA station. (More on that later.) In a couple of hours, these tents will be very busy. As before, one generator was under the stairwell of the next-door four-story medical office building, because it is loud. (DW)
This year, for the second time, we were joined by members and leaders of Scout troop 1134 of Huntington Beach. In a simulation of emergency damage to the building that would not allow the roof to be used, the Scouts erected a lodgepole structure that could serve as support for wire antennas for long-distance bands or yagis for VHF/UHF bands. (JM)
HBH has two portable generators and we gave them both a workout, providing our own fuel of course. Under that ball cap is Tim Beringer KI6RVS, getting the north station generator ready to go. (JM)
We weren't "out in the sticks,", but there was still some wildlife around. Hospital workers had to deal with this intruder. (AM)
After the tower was erected, HDSCS member Rick Soikkeli AE6RS took the Scouts into the HBH basement, where he presented a course leading the Scouts toward their radio merit badges. (JM)
The Scouts were very intent as they worked on their merit badge materials. (DW)
The big antenna is up with the USA and ARRL flags proudly waving. In the tent are the 20-meter station, the VHF station and the satellite station. VHF/UHF station antennas are on the short mast at right. (JM)
Richard Thompson WA6NOL got things going on the big 20-meter station as his son Jay W6JAY did the computer logging. (JM)
Fred Wagner KQ6Q was the first operator on the second station (which he provided) using Morse Code as Tom Hall N6DGK logged. (JM)
Monique Beringer KI6RVT operated the VHF station as Dale Petes KI6ANS handled the logging and Dennis Kidder watched. (JM)
ARRL Field Day rules provide for a special "Get On The Air" (GOTA) training station as an opportunity for new or inactive hams and non-hams to get on the air in a "sheltered" environment. Our GOTA callsign was W6KOS. Ken Simpson W6KOS is getting this young visitor on the air. (JM)
Many of our GOTA operators were Scouts seeking the contacts required for their radio merit badges. Visitor Tom Culhane KA9FRH of Huntington Beach spent lots of time helping Scouts get on the air. (JM)
There were so many Scouts and parents that we had to set up a dozen chairs in one of the tents as a "peanut gallery." We put them on other stations, too, including the 20-meter station. Kevin Balmforth N6ER is helping this Scout. (JM)
Besides 35 Orange County hospitals, HDSCS also provides support to ambulance companies, the Orange County Health Care Agency and Emergency Medical Services Agency. Greg Boswell, Program Director of OC-EMSA, brought OC-HCA's Command Vehicle to our site to show off its communications capabilities, including three ham radio transceivers. (JM)
Troop 1134 leaders cooked up a barbecue lunch for HDSCS Field Day participants as well as for the Scouts. (JM)
In mid-afternoon, there was a testing session for all grades of ham radio licenses. Examiners in the front were Richard Thompson WA6NOL, David Mofford W7KTS, Jay Thompson W6JAY and Ken Simpson W6KOS. (JM)
Joe Moell KØOV attempts a Morse Code contact via a ham radio satellite as Rebecca Katzen KI6OEM watches from the main VHF station and Bob McCord K6IWA shouts azimuth and elevation aiming instructions to the antenna opeator outside. Every year we set up a satellite station to introduce hams to this unusual mode of operating. (AM)
Tom Gaccione WB2LRH turned and lifted these VHF and UHF antennas for most of the satellite passes. Besides careful aiming of the antenna, success with ham satellites depends on being able to tune transmit and receive frequencies separately as the Doppler shift changes during a pass, which lasts less than 20 minutes. The orientation of the satellite in orbit makes a difference, too. Deep signal fades occur as the satellite tumbles. During one pass of AO-7, a very old satellite, we got a brief period of excellent signals and made a clear contact. (JM)
Rob Viera (center), a Division Manager of Care Ambulance Service, one of the agencies we serve, dropped by and was soon on the air with help from Fred Wagner KQ6Q (left) and Ralph Swanson WB6JBI (right). (JM)
Visiting from Los Angeles were Ron Seixas NY2B and his wife Becky N2JMT. Becky got on the air with help from Kevin Balmforth N6ER. Kevin, whose callsign we used for our Field Day stations, is a top-notch contest operator.(AM)
ARRL Orange Section Manager Carl Gardenias WU6D (right) visited Saturday afternoon and got the story of our operations from Field Day co-chair Dennis Kidder W6DQ. Our Southwestern Division Director, Dick Norton N6AA also visited but wasn't caught on camera. (AM)
We have never had a Field Day dinner like this before! New member Dre Sepulveda KI6YDM brought several barbecues and treated us to culinary delights such as shrimps, scallops, antelope and cactus. (JM & AM)
Monique Beringer KI6RVT baked a birthday cake in honor of of Jack Hafner KO6IC. (JM)
After supper, Scott Lolmaugh WD8ICK operated as his girlfriend Barbara watched. (AM)
Dr. Sam Stratton KA6LBN, Medical Director for OC-EMS visited on Saturday evening and operated into the wee hours. (JM)
After he was through with all his Scout activities, Rick Soikkeli AE6RS sat down to operate with Morse Code through much of the night. Note the clamp he is using to keep his key paddles from "walking" on the table. Tom Gaccione WB2LRH logged for a while. Also operating Morse all night in the other 2A station, but not photographed, was Joe Moell KØOV. (JM)
April brought breakfast to the all-nighters on Sunday morning. Dale Petes KI6ANS is getting a bite to eat in the publicity tent. (AM)
Bonus points are available for sending a formal message to the ARRL Section Manager or Section Emergency Coordinator. Dennis Kidder W6DQ used the VHF station to send our message on the six meter band Sunday morning. (JM)
For the last half hour of the contest, HDSCS founder April Moell WA6OPS finally got some operating time. (JM)
After the last QSOs were made, it was time to take down the antennas. The wind had come up, so two persons were put at each of the three guy anchors to make sure that the antenna was safe as it was lowered. (AM)
Dre Sepulveda KI6YDM was back to help lower and put away the wire antennas for the other stations. (AM)
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This page updated 12 July 2009