Tricity ARA participated in the ARRL Field Day 2011, operating from the Goodyear Emergency Operations Center for 24 hours. 4 radio operators, N1JM, KA7AOK, W7GFD, and KE7GRL, operated 2 HF radios for 24 hours, making contacts with other operators throughout the United States and Canada. Over 300 contacts were made, in which the Amateur Radio operators (known as "hams") exchanged and copied specific information with each other. TriCity's log of the event will be submitted to the American Radio Relay League, in order to compare and verify the logs of other hams throughout the nation.

This year we were additionally challenged by the lack of a CW operator. Our usual CW guru opted to operate from the heat and humidity plagued environs of east Texas. Although we listened for them, we failed to make contact, even from the comfort of bug free, low humidity, air conditioned EOC, equipped with hot and cold running water and flush toilets. CW contacts are worth 2 points, compared to 1 point per phone contact. We'll have to make plans and do some prep to add both CW and digital to our radio skills.

We always welcome visitors to Field Day, but we are a bit of a challenge to get to. We can be reached via cell phone, or by contacting us on the Goodyear Repeater. This year three folks made the effort, two hams looking over our shoulders, and Mr. Othell Newbill, Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Goodyear. We are always glad to have him around, especially as his visit add 100 points to our total, and one day we hope to get him on the air. We must have impressed one of the visiting hams, he brought a membership form and a check to join the TriCity ARA.

This is the first year we did in fact hear Puerto Rico, but band conditions changed before we could break the pile-up and make the contact. The Puerto Rican operator was more popular than even he had counted on! We keep hoping to hear from the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, which are rare contacts for us, maybe next year is the year. We also missed Alaska this year - bad luck or poor propagation?
At any rate, all forms have been filled out and our entry has been submitted via the web (another 50 points!)

 

Contact Totals by Band:

40	53
20	246
15	27
TOTAL QSOs	372

 

Map of States Contacted (Color other than white indicates at least one contact with that state or province):