Snake River Amateur Radio Club  

            Field Day 2020

   Due to scheduling difficulties, we were unable to get our customary spot at River's Edge RV Park this year, and so were forced to go to our alternate location of Three Island Crossing State Park in Glenn's Ferry. It is quite a nice place, with lots of green grass, shade and trees to hang dipoles in. I know , we were really roughing it here, but some sacrifices had to be made in the name of field operations and we were up to the challenge! :-)

^^^ The sign that greets guests at Three Island Crossing park. This is a very popular place during Summer months, so make your reservations early if you want to spend a few days here.

^^^ We seem to have gotten the hang of putting pole"A" into fitting "Z" after the circus during the ID QSO Party, and the field tent goes up much smoother than last time.

^^^ It isn't long brfore the canvas is on and the tent is complete.

^^^ And there it is, ready for occupation. Maybe we are getting the hang of this after all. Unfortunately, though, the next time we will use the tent is nine months away. Think we can remember how we did it when the time comes?

Stay tuned...

^^^ Next morning it's antenna time. Since the park was crowded, most of us elected to put up a vertical to make a smaller footprint and keep others from becoming "clotheslined" on tiedown lines.

^^^ It's 12:00. Let the fun begin! Steve, WB7VEQ, hard at work on

40M phone. Steve was our frog, jumping from band to band as needed to maintain coverage.

^^^ Bob, W7RLS, working on 20M Phone and caffeine during the afternoon. He was a very busy guy, running between the dutch oven cook tent and the field tent most of the afternoon.

^^^ By 7 PM everybody is famished. It's been a long day, especially for Bob and Steve. They have both been running between the field tent and the cook tent getting dinner ready. This time they did us proud: BBQ ribs, corn on the cob,baked potatoes, macaroni salad and lots of side dishes.

^^^ After sitting around the fire for awhile, waiting for dinner to settle, it was back to work. Most of us called it a day about 11 PM. Seventeen hours of work and it was worth every minute.

^^^ Early Sunday morning is always the most pleasant part of Field Day. Things are more relaxed, the pressure is gone, and you start to enjoy each contact more. It's also the time when the grownups like to turn the mic over to the youngsters so they can make contacts, too. Nothing brings a smile to your face on a cool Sunday morning better than the excitement in a young Ham's voice when you answer his, or her, call.

   Here John, KD7HGS, spends a relaxing morning making contacts on PSK31.

   2021 is less than a year away. Make your plans and mark your calenders. We'll see you next year. 73!