Subject: GLOWBUGS digest 221

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 10:24:08 -0500 (CDT)

GLOWBUGS Digest 221

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: NA4G on the fandeck?  Initial Heat Bomb Report
	by [email-masked]

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Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 11:47:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked] (), [email-masked],
Subject: Re: NA4G on the fandeck?  Initial Heat Bomb Report
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

> >>Anyone worked Bob on his FD expedition yet? I've been listening 
> ***************************
> No sighting of Boatanchor Bob on this end either..I've been
> searching all the stated freqs on 80 and 40 and then some..
> QRM from high power stations up north really squash things..

Initial field day bomb report from the BB55......(:+{{.....

We arrived fine at about noon and began setup.
We had the RAK/RAL, RAO, RBC, and TCM set up in one part of the display
as operational gear.  Then static display were the TBW, RBM's, TCS,
Gibson Girl, RU/GF, ARC-5 and LM gear.  Display info sheets were set out.
Temperature on the fantail was in excess of 100F at 95% humidity...(:+{{.....
Setup was completed about 5 pm and then thunderstorms rolled up...(:+{{.....
Everything had to be covered over with tarps and plastic and shut down.
At 212330Z, it was clear enough to uncover the display and start again.
At 212350, we fired up the TCM.
TCM was dead....(:+{{.....
After 15 minutes of poking and testing and pulling tubes, we ascertained
the oscillator was weak and giving no output and replaced the oscillator.
At 22016 we sent the message on 7050kcs.
Noone came back to us and we were beginning to think we were seriously
out on a big limb with a chainsaw.... wondering why us?
At 220130 we finally shut down and crashed.

At 221200 we arrived back on the fantail.
Fired up the TCM and had a great morning working several boatanchorites.
Conard/WS4S was on a hilltop in Tennessee with his TCS sounding GREAT!
Bob(?) down in Atlanta sounded ``too modern'' on his Viking II.  It had
grid block keying mods according to him, but it was excellent on CW.
Everyone we worked gave us a 589/599 report from the TCM.
At 221730 the contest station informed us that we were seriously keyclicking
across all bands and would have to come to some sort of arrangement to keep
out of their contest operation of field day.  Since they were running a
Kenwood, my interpretation was that it was overloading and they should try
learning how to operate it properly or get a front end filter or a new rig.
Alas, since we were the demo station, we threw in the towel and went back
to display mode and snuk in a QRP rig at 5 watts ....(:+)).....
We made a dozen or so immediate contacts at the start of FD in QRP battery
and then folded for the static demo, passing messages and giving guided
tours back into boatanchordom.  The public LOVED IT!  The crew aboard
ship LOVED IT.  We took a dozen or so messages and passed them and then
that was that.

At 230200 we closed the display for the night and went over to the
contest station and rattled 'n banged on 40 CW for a couple of hours and
then crashed for the night.

At 231230 we arrived back on the fantail.
A few /bb55 contacts were made on 30 meters. (I should have thought of this
ahead of time and had everyone meet on 30 meters for the BA fun --- stupid
me. 30 meters was great --- clear as a bell and little QRM/QRN.)
More public.  All told, we must have had maybe 3000-4000 visitors drop by
the display.  Most seemed to like it.  Some were hams.  Some were original
crew aboard the ship.  Some were on other ships.  A number of VIP visitors
showed up, and even a contingent of dress gyrines for a full dress formal
dinner in the officers mess hall aboard ship up after the public went off the
ship saturday night.

At 231800, FD ended and we sent a final signoff message.

The next six hours were spent packing up.   Ol' BA Bob folded over once
due to heat prostration and some kind lady passing by gave us a bottle
of ice water that was poured all over him.  A couple of the maintenance
members of the crew aboard ship helped us get the TCM's and big receivers
down the gangplank.  We could have never done it without their help in
that heat.  Kudos to them.

So, all in all it was a great bit of Boatanchor PR and static display.
The operational end of it was so-so.  We sent messages late, and only
got a few QSO's in, but we did make the rendevous with some of the
Boatanchorite folks running their Boatanchor gear!

Would we do it again?  Damn right!  (at least as soon as we recover from
the sunburn and heat prostration....I still can't lift an RAL without
gasping, two days after the fact...(:+{{.....).

Things to ammend on a second voyage.....

   1).  Start EARLIER.  Two vanloads of boatanchors is a LOT to move and
        set up anywhere.  Maybe hire a squad of grunts to do the moving.

   2).  Buy a set of bandpass filters for those damn kenicoyasawhooies
        that don't have any front end tuned circuits!!!!!!  Maybe teach
        the folks what RF gain controls are for in CW operation?

73/ZUT DE NA4G/Bob 

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End of GLOWBUGS Digest 221
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