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How to Come Back After Field Day by KA7EKW)
Well, it's that time again. Those
little flakes of "global warming" have stopped falling, the snow
shovel is hanging in the garage, and a ham's thoughts turn to Field Day.
However, you will be facing risks
this year that you never have faced before. It doesn't matter how many
contacts you make, if you are the highest-ranking Silent Key in the list!
The risks break down into three
areas: Technology, Environment, and Medical.
Let's deal with Technology first.
Oh, sure, you've done this every
year, so long that you still have a couple of Motorola plugs in your tool
kit, but unless you are running a solo effort, there is a good chance that
someone you've never met is bringing out equipment that you've never seen.
Look from a distance, until you know the ways that it might bite you.
If you're in a club, it's a good
idea to appoint a safety officer -- an experienced ham who likes to build
things -- to check all installations during and after setup. His or her ONLY
job is to look for things that don't look right. No power is applied until
cleared with Safety.
Are the power leads properly
insulated, the antenna properly grounded, the generator safely away from
hazards -- and not aimed to fill your tent with carbon monoxide while you
sleep?
Antennas deserve special attention
-- they tend to be sharp at one end, hard to see at night, and can zap you
anywhere along the length. Are you running an NVIS (aka "Radiating
Neck-Wire") . . ? It's a good idea to drape something like barrier tape
at invervals, so that it's obvious there's something there. A tower? Imagine
the worst-case scenario, and it falls over -- where will it go? Onto a power
line, or someone's sleeping bag?
Everything needs to be labeled,
unless nobody other than the builder will operate it. ALL power leads must be
marked, in case you need to cut off the juice in a hurry.
Field Day is supposed to be a
disaster DRILL, let's not make it REAL.
Second, we have Environmental.
Some of this might be related to
Technology, like the guys I watched raising a tower during a lull between
thunderstorm cells passing overhead, or the guy who drove his ground rod
through the school sprinkler system.
However, the environment is other
things. Do you have a security issue, where equipment is likely to disappear
if left unattended? Or maybe most of your planned area has recently been
sprayed with bug killer. Or a new power line has been run . . .there are a
lot of factors.
Don't be afraid to find somewhere
else to operate -- that's a big part of working a field expedient site,
learning where not to put them. Even just picking the opposite corner of the
park may make all the difference between a safe weekend and a real problem.
Lastly, we have Medical.
Sorry, OM, but you ARE an OM! That
tower trailer that you eagerly cranked a couple of years ago (well, let's be
honest, TWENTY years ago) is ready to be your first heart attack. If you're
the only one around to crank it, take it easy, take your time on the crank.
Unless you are Jack LaLanne (I
think that guy is allergic to Kryptonite!), as you get older, you are no long
able to jump into the same level of effort that you used to. If nothing else,
this is your incentive for recruiting some teenagers into ham radio!
You also need to think things
through. Make sure that you know what you are doing, and that you're at that
step in the process (especially important if working as a team). If in doubt,
start over rather than miss an important step.
Setup isn't the only worry. Make
sure you get enough water (plain old water, or club soda). By the time you
notice that you're thirsty, you are already dehydrated, so maybe a big club
should assign someone to keeping the flow of water going to every operator.
And, if you're there in the tent, if anyone takes a drink, EVERYONE take a
drink. Don't skip meals, and don't load up on snacks and junk.
If you are out in the sun, WEAR
YOUR HAT. Use sunscreen. Wear loose-fitting long sleeves.
Don't forget your flashlight and
batteries. Wandering around at night is a really good way to learn WHY we
call NVIS antenna "Radiating Neck Wires," or be reminded exactly
where the counterpoise was staked.
Now, since it seems that most
clubs go hide out on mountaintops for FD, you also need to make sure that you
bring extra water, food, fuel and meds -- be prepared to be stuck out there
for 5 days.
Lastly, be prepared to evacuate
the site. Make a checklist of the most important stuff to load first -- you
may have less than 5 minutes' warning if a fire starts. Nothing that you own
is worth dying for, and if you're given an evacuation order, GO. The best
plan is to leave everything in your car unless you are using it.
Practicing this part can be fun.
I've seen a couple of clubs that made it a contest to be ready to roll after
FD is over.
Whatever you do, wherever you go,
just do your best to be back home Sunday night, and back for next year's
Field Day.
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