[WARC] Interesting Numbers

Thu Jun 12 19:30:37 GMT 2008

Hi Russ,

I guess that my contribution may have been a little off topic but field day 
and the meeting at Dicks and all of those things have been brought up by 
others.   

You definitely have to have your act together to set up a station in winter 
remotely.  I have help Matt with that a couple of time but you certainly 
cannot run home when you have a problem.    That is why I find this sort of 
thing challenging and fun.

73 Clare

On Thursday 12 June 2008 11:48 am, Russell Marsolek wrote:
> Clare.
>
> Try doing it at an average temp of 20 below zero. Setting up always right
> around mid-night. Being 10 miles from the nearest "anything"! That is what
> I have done for the last 10 years, for the John Beargrease Sled Dog Race,
> 100 miles north of Duluth in the middle of no-where. If you forget anything
> from home...your screwed. If something falters, you better have a McIvor
> knife handy, and know how to use it. And with wind-chills sometimes around
> 50 below zero.....things can be life threatening. That has been my field
> day. And frankly....I love it!
>
> The bottom line is that this thread is NOT specifically about Field Day. It
> is about why the membership numbers, and participation at club events has
> dwindled. Field Day is just one aspect.
>
> Again...why?
>
> RLM
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: warc-bounces at lists.w0ne.org [mailto:warc-bounces at lists.w0ne.org] On
> Behalf Of Clare Jarvis
> Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:12 AM
> To: jbrown at luminet.net; Winona Amateur Radio Club general discussion
> Subject: Re: [WARC] Interesting Numbers
>
> Hello All,
>
> Last field day:
>
> I brought my rig,
> I brought my key.
> I brought my headset.
> I brought my antenna.
> I had help with the setup.
> I had help with the tear down.
> I did alot of the operating.   ( Dick Lindner, Les, Walt, and maybe one
> other
> operated.)
>
>
> There are too many I's in the statements above.  Too few others
> participated
>
> last year.  This year I have offered the use of my rig, even though it is
> less than ideal for field day because of lack of an automatic antenna
> turner.
>
> The year before Field day was held in my yard, using my antenna system.   (
> I
> have forgotten whose rig we used but I guess it was mine.
>
> I think Field day is a worthwhile operating event.   Being able to to put
> up a
> field day station demonstrates preparedness for emergencies.   My feeling
> right now is that I have demonstrated that I am somewhat prepared for
> emergencies.
>
> My challenge to the people in this reflector is:
>
> Put up a field day station without using my equipment.   There are club
> tower
> sections in my yard and club antennas in my yard.   Come on over, do an
> assessment, discuss the situation and try to do something different that
> depend on Clare, Walt, Les, Dick and a few others.   If I have left you out
> of the list please forgive me.   Those of you that have been participating
> know who you are and I commend you.
>
> Just for the record, Tony from Lake City was invaluable the year before
> last.
> I think he participated in another field day operation last year.
>
> It is really easy to go to the shack, power up the rig, swing the rotator
> and
> use the antenna that have been tuned for your equipment.   Operating in
> that
>
> manner is fun and you do increase your operating skills.   But it is not
> the
>
> same as operating from a temporary portable station using equipment that
> you
>
> are not familiar with.   The later is intellectually challenging because
> you
>
> always face imperfections, faults, missing equipment and lack of knowledge,
> that have to be overcome, usually through teamwork.   Everybody in the team
> learns something.   When it is all over,  the team is more capable for
> having
> gone through the process.
>
> I guess you may have already concluded that I think field day is important.
>
> I hope I have conveyed that to you.
>
> 73 Clare
>
> On Thursday 12 June 2008 08:28 am, Jim Brown wrote:
> > Seeing I started this thread I will throw in my $.02 worth.
> >
> > As a former club member I can tell you the meeting format is one of the
> > major reasons I haven't attended a club meeting in almost 5 years. I
> > enjoy a lively discussion as much as anyone but let the subject be radio
> > related. How can a club with so few members have an hours worth of
> > business every meeting?
> >
> > Another issue I have is that the focus of the club is not on operating
> > events. Case in point is Field Day. Other than Len's plea for help there
> > has been little discussion about Field Day. How much chatter have you
> > seen about Field Day on this reflector? In the current issue of the
> > Hamgram the minutes indicated there was so little interest that 8 people
> > actually abstained from voting on a Field Day motion. There was a time
> > when the Field day Saturday night dinner attracted 20 plus people. Last
> > year it was four. Why are the numbers down? One thing I don't understand
> > is why the club meeting before Field Day is always at Dick's cabin.
> > Traditionally this is the lowest attended meeting of the year. I brought
> > this question up at one of the Friday night dinners and I was told
> > because June is always the month we have the meeting at Dick's cabin.
> > Hard to argue with that logic. It is difficult to promote an event when
> > there are only a few people at the meeting. It's great Dick has a
> > meeting at his cabin but wouldn't a different month make more sense?
> >
> > Lastly if the club really wants to know why people don't join ask non
> > members and former members. You may not get the answers you want but at
> > least you will have the facts.
> >
> > Jim NØWE
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: warc-bounces at lists.w0ne.org [mailto:warc-bounces at lists.w0ne.org]
> > On Behalf Of Leslie Hittner
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:05 PM
> > To: Winona Amateur Radio Club general discussion
> > Subject: Re: [WARC] Interesting Numbers
> >
> >
> > ELIMINATE THE BUSINESS MEETINGS! Do the club's business a different way.
> > Concentrate on activities. If people are concerned about the "long"
> > meetings, why look for a place that allows even longer meetings? A time
> > from 7-9 is long enough - especially if you want young people to attend.
> >
> > The "business meeting" answer has been staring us in the face for years.
> > Let's deal with it. People who "love" business meetings can come to the
> > board meetings. Keep the rest of the time to ham radio.
> >
> > -Les, K0BAD
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "James Jefferson Jarvis" <jj at aprsworld.com>
> > To: "Winona Amateur Radio Club general discussion" <warc at lists.w0ne.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:11
> > Subject: Re: [WARC] Interesting Numbers
> >
> > > On Wednesday 11 June 2008, Dick Lindner wrote:
> > > > I respond to Len's comments and second his comment on
> >
> > meetings.  There
> >
> > > > also needs to be variety in the meetings - some historical,
> >
> > some "show
> >
> > > > and tell" for newcomers, and some programs that perhaps have
> >
> > nothing to
> >
> > > > do with ham radio - the weather center visit was certainly a
> >
> > good step.
> >
> > > I'd love to do more show and tell at the meetings. I've
> >
> > brought a few things
> >
> > > this year, but haven't been able to show them. With the lights
> >
> > going while
> >
> > > the business meeting is still going, it doesn't make it very
> >
> > easy to do that.
> >
> > > > The "old days" also had hamshack visits.  It would be
> >
> > unwieldy to have
> >
> > > > all of the meeting attendees show up at someone's house at
> >
> > the same
> >
> > > > time.  But perhaps, if there were 3 or 4 people willing to
> >
> > open their
> >
> > > > shacks, and someone willing to coordinate the "round robin"
> >
> > on the
> >
> > > > meeting night by clock time, then the groups could be small
> >
> > enough and
> >
> > > > everyone could visit all 3 or 4 shacks.  What a kick that
> >
> > would be!
> >
> > > I would be happy to volunteer a "shack" visit to my work.
> >
> > Electronics R&D,
> >
> > > machine shop, and tiny amateur radio installation. And a
> >
> > meeting run and
> >
> > > facilities to host a meeting as well.
> > >
> > > > I have hopes for new hams to attend Field Day.  Perhaps if
> >
> > we had a list
> >
> > > > of names and telephone numbers, some members of the club
> >
> > could make a
> >
> > > > personal call to remind/invite the new hams to Field Day.
> > > >
> > > > HF and VHF contests used to be run by those interested with
> >
> > a couple of
> >
> > > > other hams showing up at a designated "contest station".
> >
> > WB0HAD and
> >
> > > > WB0PRK and I think N0BUI and myself did this a few times and
> >
> > had a good
> >
> > > > time.  I'm not sure we ever sent in the contest results, but
> >
> > the whole
> >
> > > > thing was a good time.
> > >
> > > Good ideas, Dick!
> > >
> > > -Jim KB0THN
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > WARC at lists.w0ne.org
> > > http://lists.w0ne.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/warc
> >
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-- 
Mr. Clare Jarvis
Jarvis Computer Software
PO Box 1264
Winona MN 55987-7264

(507) 454 2575

Reply to: jarvis at jarviscomputer.com