Field Day -- 2014..

Hi Gang,

This weekend is Field Day. It’s absolutely the biggest ham event in the country. Are you planning on being a part of it? Sure hope so.

Whether you visit a club site, or just have a small Field Day in your back yard with a few friends, I want all of you to PLEASE.. be careful out there.

As that this event calls for some ingenuity when it comes to constructing antennas, towers and running cables everywhere, it also calls for all of us to be extra careful out there for those objects when it turns dark. We will be in an unusual atmosphere, and things aren’t necessarily where we think they are. When all of a sudden, we run into a tent rope or guy wire, or trip over that extension cord..

Next thing we know is that we’re being transported by the emergency squad to the hospital with your leg, arm or ankle broken. Let me tell ya’ from true experience.. You can’t operate Field Day from a hospital bed. The nurses will have a tizzy if you try. And, most hospitals frown on having their patients operate high power transmitters around their fancy sensitive high tech equipment.. (it shows them up too much I guess..)

Also, since this is an emergency event where we will be utilizing generators and portable power, be extra careful. Many accidents happen when we don’t pay attention to the details. Be sure to ground that generator and be sure to only fill it when it is cool. So many people have been a part of a large “boom” and then rather fancy blue and yellow flames when attempting to fill a hot generator and the gas spills down onto the engine. 

Never use a match or lighter as a light to see if the gas tank is empty or full. Don’t laugh, humans when left to their own devices will use just about any type of flame as a light when needed, regardless of how dangerous it may be.

This should be a “FUN” exercise. Yes, it does have its serious side with demonstrating to all the world that “when all else fails..” but we need to have fun as well. Enjoy the event, stay safe and I hope to see you either in person, or on the air..!!!


73..

Scott, N8SY..