[Vintage-Radio] Boatanchors at Field Day?

[Robert D. Keys/NA4G]

> Moreno Valley ARA is in So. Cal. where the old Riverside Raceway used to
> be.  Grid Square DM13.  Town used to be called Sunnymead on them old maps.
>
> TTFN  73  Frank KE6VHM
>      Grid Square DM13
>           CW Forever

Ahhh, memories.....

My very first FD as a geek novice was on the hill behind you where that
wonderful old hermit lady used to live, up above UCR.   That was some
25 years ago.

Lugged a BC-1306, dynamotor, and 2 diesel truck batteries up atop that ridge,
and ran a 15 foot whip vertical with a 300 foot long wire with a helium-
filled kite-balloon at the end.   The rig was set up on a shaky card table
on the only flat 6 square feet we could find almost at the top of that hill,
under the bright stars.  I must have made maybe 35 qsos, if I was very lucky.
The diesel truck batteries lasted all the night though, and kept the dynamotor
generator whirring.  When the next morning came, I went the 25 feet up to the
crest of the ridge and looked over the edge at the sunrise, expecting to
see a fine California rural desert vista, and the county ARC was there with
tents, towers, beams, 10 kilowatty diesel generators, portable GI kitchens,
and everything including the kitchen sink.  It sorta made the geek novice
feel kinda dumbstruck.  No wonder that BC-1306 was overrun with QRM, that
night before, on the 80M novice band.  The county boys did invite the geek
novice and his companion battery-lugger-logger down fer a round o' bacon
an' eggs that tasted GREAT!

That was a Boatanchorite Field Day, I will never forget --- the stuff
legends are made of.....

73/ZUT DE NA4G/Bob UP

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --
To subscribe: listserv at listserv.tempe.gov
and in body: subscribe BOATANCHORS yourfirstname yourlastname
To unsubscribe:  listserv at listserv.tempe.gov
and in body: signoff BOATANCHORS
Archives for BOATANCHORS: http://www.tempe.gov/archives
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --