2026 ARRL Field day

 2026 WTRA FIELD DAY – EPILOGUE

by: WB4KZI
WTRA VP

Friday, June 20 -FD organizing meeting.

Attendance: Randy-WB4KZI, Robert-KQ4BET, Steve-KZ4AT, Scott-W0TSA

We decided to run two HF stations, one on the HF EFLW and the other on a Hygain 3 element beam that Scott said we could have.

Thursday, June 25

Went to Chesapeake to get the beam from Scott.  Got home and started cleaning the beam.  Some #2 steel wool and about 5 hours did a good job of cleaning it up.  In the process, discovered a few pieces were missing.  A trip to my old antenna parts bin found what was needed.

Friday, June 26, FD Setup Meeting, 10 AM
Attendance: Randy, Steve & Robert

I had a thought that a 30’ lightweight tower would be great to put the beam on. Called my friend Charlie, WB4PVT, (the local tower/antenna parts guy), and he said he had just what we needed!  So Steve and I went and got the 30’ Rohn 25G from Charlie and took it to the FD site about 2 PM.  Robert, KQ4BET joined us around 4 PM. Thinking we could put a pulley on the telephone pole where we tied off the EFLW, we could pull the tower and antenna up to the pole and tie it off to the pole.   SURPRISE!  We forgot the pole had power on it.  So we decided to “walk” the tower up.  Too heavy!  Three of us, in the 90+ temperature and humidity just couldn’t do it. It was getting late and we were “beat”.  Will try plan B tomorrow.  Going back home to finish cleaning the beam.

Saturday, June 27, 9 AM: FIELD DAY

Plan B: Robert and I have a set of the 4’ heavy aluminum pole sections.  Seven sections would put us about 28’. The plan is to try to put the beam on the first section and keep adding sections and pushing the poles up until the 7th pole got us the 28’.  Well, that didn’t work!  So we decided to use 6 poles and try to “walk” the beam and poles up.  We attached ropes at 4 points on the pole rings, at the top and at the middle of the poles.  In the meantime, Mike-KC8GZK, Glen- KA7HBH and Arthur-KM4EBT showed up to help with the antennas.  The beam was install on the top pole and we started “walking” the beam/poles up.  SUCCESS!  We got the poles and antenna up and tied down.  Our “rotor” was a piece of rope tied on one end of the beam.  (It’s called an “Armstrong Rotor”!)  All we had to do was go out and pull, with the rope, where we wanted to point the beam.

In the meantime, while Randy, Robert, & Mike secured the beam, Steve, Scott, Robert and Glen got the EFLW up and secured.

Thirty minutes “til FD starts and we haven’t got the two radios or the logging computers up and running yet!

1:50 PM:  Radios, computers and antennas all up and operational!  We even had time to get the food and snacks in the building!

2:00 PM:  FD starts.  All who wanted took turns operating using Station A on the EFLW for 40 & 80 meters  and Station B on the beam for 10, 15 & 20 meters.  Both antennas seemed to work as expected.  Band conditions were not very good either day.  And a noise level of S8 plagued us both days.

During the operating period Lyle, N4ACK, sent Winlink messages, using the WT4RA-10 Digital Node, to our SEC, the IOW EOC and to the Hampton FD team.

Other members who showed up to operate/log were:  John-KA1UGM, Rob-KJ4HMZ, & Don-WB4BYR.  Dick-W4RBH, attended as our Safety Office and Stu-WA4JUO stopped by as well.  Visitors included Terry-KN8TNF, the Virginia Section Emergency Coordinator, and Ed Gibbs, the Assistant SEC.  Ira & Paula Swartz from the Hospital Emergency Amateur Radio Team also stopped by.

5:00 PM:  Pizza was ordered and available for all who wanted to share a meal.

Sunday, June 28, 2 PM

FD operations ceased.  We made a total of 175 contacts, all on Phone.  Talking to FD operators in other QTH’s, all said the same thing about the bands and noise.  Just not the best conditions for FD this year. Maybe better next year.

2:45 PM:  All antennas down, equipment turned off and packed.  EOC looks like it did when we first arrived.

Thanks to all who participated in FD this year and a special thanks to all who helped set up and take down, especially the ones who braved the 90+ degree heat and 90% humidity Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to get the antennas up and working.  Great job by all.