FARS Field Day 2009

[Field Day 2008 - Group Photo]

The Foothills Amateur Radio Society is participating in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) 2009 Field Day event on Saturday June 27^th and Sunday June 28^th.

The event is open to the public and visitors are welcome from 12 Noon and 7PM on Saturday, June 27^th. This is a great opportunity to see Amateur Radio in action and even participate. Learn about ham radio by participating.

You can download a copy of the 2009 Field Day Rules (pdf [64K]), or the complete 2009 Field Day Package (pdf [896K]).

Here's an Article on the FARS 2007 Field Day from "100 Watts Magazine" a Thai HAM radio magazine. Thanks Nimit, KI6JLD.

John L. Gaffey, WS1EA has written a helpful primer for organizing your own Field Day event.

FARS plans to operate in the 3A category, with three HF radio stations on emergency power at a temporary location. We will have for or five operating radio stations:

• HF station operating Single Sideband (SSB) voice on 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m;
• HF station split between operating CW (Morse Code) and PSK31/RTTY (keyboard) on 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m;
• HF station operating (SSB) voice on 80m and 160m;
• VHF/satellite station (not counted in category number);
• GOTA (Get On The Air) station (not counted in the category number);

Field Day Captains

AA6PZ	Paul, AA6PZ, is our HF captain for 40m, 20m, 15m, and 10m. The station transceiver is a Yaesu FT-990. We plan to operate 40 and 20 meters, since the low sunspot cycle makes higher frequency bands less useful.
KI6FXY	Charlie, KI6FXY, is our CW/Digital station captain. The transceiver is a Kenwood FT-570S with HamScope and MM-TTY running on a laptop for PSK31/RTTY operation. We operate mostly 40 and 20 meters with some 80 meter activity.
KA6MZE	Phil, KA6MZE, is our HF SSB station station captain for 160m and 80m operation. Phil is also the overall Field Day captain.
K6XOX	Nimit, K6XOX, is our VHF/Satellite station captain. The VHF station is an ICOM IC-910 for satellite and VHF 2-meter operation. We plan to operate on 6m, 2m, and 70cm.
KI6QNZ	Michael, KI6QNZ, is our GOTA station captain. This station is for non-Hams and new Hams to try out an amateur radio HF radio station. Under guidance of our control operator, our guests work contacts with amateur radio stations throughout the United States, Canada, or further.

We plan to have some demonstration programs on-site.

Visitors

We welcome visitors from the general public to visit our Amateur Radio Field Day between 12 Noon and 7PM on Saturday, June 27^th. Directions will be posted here later.

Sign ups

Information for Participants

For logging we are using W3KM's Genlog32 software for logging at each of the Field Day stations. The exception is the GOTA station which uses paper logging. You may download the software (Genlog32). Some instructions for installing and setting up the software for the FARS Field Day

Directions

To find the FARS Field Day site take Interstate 280 towards the Los Altos / Mountain View border. Exit onto Foothill Expressway and head south. Make a right turn onto Cristo Rey Drive (first light). Follow signs towards Rancho San Antonio Park. Follow Cristo Rey Drive (~ 3/4 mile) until you reach Rancho San Antonio Park and turn right into the Maryknoll (private) driveway. Go past the gate, turn right and park next to the Eucalyptus trees. If you end up at the seminary building, you went too far. Go back to Cristo Rey drive and head back to Rancho San Antonio Park. Enter the drive across from the park.

Our Field Day operation is located in the large open field next to the parking area. Please do not disturb the Seminary residents located in the buildings northwest of our location. They have generously allowed us to use this location on their property for our Field Day operation.

A more detailed view. Notice the traffic circle you must pass through. Follow the sign that says "Park". The correct exit to continue on Cristo Rey Drive can be confusing, so return to the circle and try again if you miss it.

And finally this view shows detail of the traffic circle. Note that the entrance for FARS K6YA Field Day site (right turn not shown on the map) about 50 feet past the entrance to Rancho San Antonio Park. If you have a 2m radio, you can get talk-in directions on 145.27- (100Hz PL).

More information

FARS 2008 Field Day Pictures.

FARS 2007 Field Day Pictures.

FARS 2005 Field Day Pictures.

FARS 2004 Field Day Report; pictures July 2004 Newsletter.

FARS 2003 Field Day Report; more pictures July 2003 Newsletter.

FARS 2002 Field Day Report.

Pictures from the 2001 FARS Field Day.

Pictures from the 2000 FARS Field Day.

Pictures from the 1999 FARS Field Day.

Pictures from the 1998 FARS Field Day.

Field Day information at the ARRL's web site.

Story in Los Altos Town Crier on the 2001 FARS Field Day.