The Racine Megacycle Club Field Day

Field Day is a test of an amateur radio operator's ability to operate in an emergency situation and provide communications under adverse conditions, but it is also a chance for fine-tuning emergency communications skills. Using generators and battery power, and setting up antennas in the field. The idea is to put together a self-sufficient, working station quickly and making contacts in a 24 Hr period. this is training for emergency communications during floods, Hurricanes, fires, Earthquakes and other major disasters.

Field Day is a contest sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). ARRL is an Organization based in Newington CT. representing Amateur Radio members all over North America. Field Day contest starts on the last full weekend of June each Year.

During the contest, each contact that has been made to another radio station counts for points. Bonus points can be collected by communication with certain Field Day stations and receiving certain messages from the ARRL headquarters simulating emergency messages. Other bonus points can be collected by using Solar, Windmill, or Water powered generators to power the radio equipment.

Field Day is intended as a public event and so the public is always invited to attend. Field Day is a great way for people interested in Ham Radio to get a chance to see what it's all about. The first Field Day took place in 1933, the Racine Megacycle Club has participated in Field Day ever since it was first affiliated with the American Radio Relay League in 1948.

FIELD DAY 2005

LEFT: W9UDU Field Day at Pritchard Park

RIGHT: Sunset at Field Day

LEFT: John, N9WWR Works on a Radio

RIGHT: Rob, KF9ZT buzzes by in his helicopter

Jyrki, K9JKA and Kevin KB9LLV get contacts

FIELD DAY 2004

Pictured right: Gerhard (No Call), Jay Schopp, AB9FA and Tim McGlinn, KC9FIR operating the GOTA - Get On The Air station at the 2004 Racine Megacycle Club Field Day. (Photo: Alex Voss, N9RGX)

Pictured Left: Working his station out of the back of his pick-up John Praeger, N9WWR tries hard to make a contact through the Amateur Radio Satellite AO-27. As the time grew near for the AO-27 to pass over, excitement mounted and the crowd around John grew larger. The satellite was heard as the antenna array was manually aimed during a low-horizon pass from South-East to North-East. While constantly tuning the 2 meter and 70 centimeter radios, compensating for dopplar shift and looking for signals John whittles the dials of the radios like a seasoned veteran. Soon the Satellite passed over the horizon, the elusive contact lost. Hopes were high for the next satellite pass 2 and a half hours later. (Photo: Alex Voss, N9RGX)

-Racine Megacycle Club Activities Manager; Alex Voss, N9RGX. (2004)

FIELD DAY 1999

Pictured: Matt Weeks, KB9ULU, calling CQ at the Racine Megacycle Club Field Day Photo: Phil Neumiller, KC9IS

The Racine Megacycle Club conducted its 1999 Field Day exercise on June 26 and 27 1999 at Decision Farm, 5400 6 Mile Road in Caledonia, Wisconsin. The site is the home of Larry and Wendy McCalvy (WA9JMO and N9PAC).

All told, we had a good time at this year’s Field Day outing... ...We provide an event to “train” new operators, we offer an opportunity for members to work together on a project and we do test our emergency preparedness, at least to some extent.

-Racine Megacycle Club Vice-Pres.; Bob Burgermeister, W9EH. (1999)

MEGACYCLE FIELD DAY

The Racine Megacycle Club held a 24-hour field day over the weekend at the Kenneth Howe farm, Rochester, joining with other amateur radio clubs holding similar events throughout the United States. Transmitting and receiving equipment was set up in two tens and contact as made with other clubs. With the microphone above is Phil Neumiller, 10017 Spring St.; Jim Pearlberg, 1237 Jones St. and William Erickson, 8720 Ranchwood Road, all of Racine. Object of the day was to determine how many contacts could be made with other clubs in the United States.