Amateur Radio Field Day 2012

Amateur Radio Field Day happens annually on the last full weekend of June.  Individuals and radio clubs all over the nation plan for it for months.  It is actually a demonstration of emergency preparedness turned into a contest.  A group throws up antennas in a location and makes as many contacts as possible during a 24-hour period.  Of course, there are rules that are determined by the source of power, number of radios, and sometimes the number of people operating.  The neat thing about FD is that the person behind the microphone doesn't have to be a licensed amateur because there are control operators standing by to make sure all of the FCC rules are followed.  I've written about FD before...

I belong to the Hendricks County (Indiana) Amateur Radio Society (HCARS).  I've been one of the only female members of the club for probably 15 years.  Every FD is an experience.  My first official HCARS FD, I was operating in a tent with K9PZ when heavy rain hit.  The tent leaked in some places and acted as a water-collection point in others.  We were frantically trying to keep the water off the radio and not get electrocuted.  Another year, I was operating with N9PDC's wife in a travel trailer during the wee hours of the night and was so cold that all I wanted to do was curl up in my sleeping bag to keep warm.  (Eventually, I did.)  Yet another year, I was contesting and heard a familiar voice come back to me.  It was AB9D. my radio mentor, who was in Washington DC, listening for us on the air.  What a kick!  (The odds of contacting someone you know on FD are slim to none.)

Over the years, my club's FD site has changed.  During my tenure as president of the club, we lost our favorite site, due to county politics, etc.  The site we lost had been quite family-friendly.  We had a gazebo as a gathering/eating spot, and a playground just yards away...and restrooms just as close.  Members brought their wives and families for the Saturday evening meal.  It was just fun!  After we gave up that site, things were never the same.  We moved to the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds.  No shade.  No playground.  Restrooms too far away.  Families largely don't show up anymore.  It's sad.  And it became clear to me that most of my interest in FD was the family nature of what we had.  My interest lagged...

But here is the real deal:  since about 1999 or 2000, I took over supplying the meals for the club--Saturday lunch, Saturday supper, and Sunday breakfast.  The club provided me with $250 with which to shop and cook to provide.  And people donated things, as well.  I almost always delivered $50 back to the group because I had everything down to a fine science after that long.  One or two of those years, the club didn't have any income, but I managed to supply food, anyway.  I took pride in it. 

Early on, we had a member that did deep fried turkeys and another member who did smoked pork loins.  Another member who worked for Wonder Bread donated bread and buns.  One member's wife would provide a seriously special cake with "Field Day" decorated on it.  Another wife was great about providing brownies to die for.  One member managed to convince a local pizza company to provide pizzas at midnight on contesting night...and we had watermelon that was donated...and some drinks from McDonald's...and Aqua Water from a local company.  The guy who did the smoked pork loin's wife provided yummy baked beans...and mostly, the club paid for it.  A big plus was that we had a Salvation Army canteen present to provide drinks and ice and refrigeration.  But...as some members moved away, got infirm, died, or lost interest, we lost resources.  I also lost heart.  FD is a shell of what it used to be.

After my contesting partner Kathy Gwaltney died of lung cancer, it wasn't fun anymore.  I decided that my purpose in all of it was to continue to feed "my guys".  Last year, the club lost its source of income, even though we had more money in the treasury than I ever remembered...so the decision was made not to provide the funds to feed the masses.  Now that I am on a small and fixed income, I can no longer supply all that I used to be able to do.  And I have missed club meetings.  I guess the word went out to the membership that everyone was "on their own" for FD meals.  I did send word that I would be supplying sloppy joes for the noon meal on Saturday, for those who hadn't managed to get food while putting up antennas.

Silly me!  I took a crock pot full of six pounds of my sloppy joe recipe--along with two packages of buns (16)--and a bag of 20 Frito-Lay chip products, some paper towels and paper plates--at noon.  When I arrived, I noticed that there were all kinds of chips and packages of cookies, and lots of water/drinks.  But no real food.  I plugged in the crock pot.  At about 1:30, after the opening ceremonies, I decided to go home...but noticed that some people were hitting the sloppy joes hard.  (One fellow who had a big plate full isn't even a member of the club and was complaining that there were no forks!)  As I was almost home to Plainfield, the word came to me on the radio that they were already out of buns!

I went back to the FD site at 8:00 PM to retrieve my crock pot.  While I was waiting to depart, the man largely responsible for deciding that the club couldn't pay for FD food showed up, went right to the crock pot, and seemed annoyed that there was nothing left!  Hello!  Everyone was supposed to take care of themselves, food-wise.  What I sent was just supposed to take up the slack for the guys who were working to put up antennas for the occasion!  I took the stuff at noon.  It was now late and should not have been taken for granted.  Ugh!

I am not in this for thanks, but I do believe that the club needs to reassess what they want for future FDs.  We can do this as a team, but the team has to be willing to provide.  We'll see!

I never did do any contesting this year.  I could have.  I just wasn't inspired.  Stuff happens!