Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend
Huntington Beach Hospital (HBH)
June 25-26, 2011
Photos by
Joe Moell KØOV (JM)
April Moell WA6OPS (AM)
Dave West KI6EPI (DW)
This is the tenth year of HDSCS Field Day (FD) at Huntington Beach Hospital (HBH), one of our supported facilities. Our main stations were set up on tables in these "surge capacity" tents, which Orange County hospitals have ready for deployment when they need additional space for patient care during pandemics, etc. There were lights for overnight operation and cots for those who needed some shuteye. The hospital also provided sandwiches and snacks. (JM)
Setup began on Friday afternoon. Field Day requires lots of wires for power and antennas. Getting those wires in place is one of the first jobs, being handled here by Dave West KI6EPI on a hospital roof. (AM)
In years past, we have used the flagpoles in front of the hospital to hold up wire antennas. This year, we found a sturdy mast on top of the portico, which supports a Christmas tree in December. (AM)
Our VHF/UHF FD station included a four element yagi antenna for the six-meter band, which was assembled and raised by Dale Petes KI6ANS, Jim McLaughlin AB6UF and Rick Soikkeli AE6RS. (AM)
On-air operations commenced at 11 AM on Saturday. Ted Kramer NB6N started things out by making voice contacts on Station #1 as Ralph Swanson WB6JBI watched. (JM)
Ray Rittenhouse KF6WZN got things going on Station #2. Dale Petes KI6ANS (seated) and Richard Deen KI6HWY (standing) watched and learned. (JM)
In the Field Day rules, contacts in Morse Code (CW) have twice the point value of voice contacts. We had several Morse operators including Fred Wagner KQ6Q, shown here. Logging for him is Robert Moore KW6B. (AM)
All morning on Saturday, a classroom in the hospital basement was full of Scouts for the radio merit badge class, taught by Rick Soikkeli AE6RS. (JM)
This Scout was excited to try a hand-held ham radio set. (DW)
One of the radio merit badge requirements is that each Scout make contact with ham stations in three callsign areas. Fred Wagner KQ6Q is helping a Scout with that requirement at Station #2. (JM)
Tom Gaccione WB2LRH helped Scouts make contacts at Station #1. Over 30 Scouts qualified for merit badges on Saturday. (DW)
Field Day groups are encouraged to have a separate Get-On-The-Air (GOTA) station to encourage visitors and hams who haven't been on the long-distance bands to get on and make contacts. Our GOTA station was in this decontamination tent near the main hospital entrance. These Scouts are waiting to get on the air at that station to make contacts for their radio merit badges. (JM)
Visitor Kristine Dennehy is experiencing ham radio for the first time at the GOTA station, assisted by Tom Smith KB6A, as April Moell WA6OPS watches. (JM)
At the GOTA station, Gary Sanders KC6TWZ makes calls while Tom Smith KB6A does the logging and explains the procedure to Linda Endsley KJ6IHB. (JM)
Kim DeCelles K9KIM makes contacts in the GOTA station as Dale Petes KI6ANS does the computer logging. (JM)
Members of the HBH hospital staff visited our operations throughout the event to learn about ham radio emergency communications. (JM)
Kathleen Curran from the Marketing Department at Prime Healthcare (at left) was impressed with the capabilities of ham radio hand-held transceivers. (DW)
Our first ham radio VIP visitors were Bob Turner W6RHK, the ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator for ARRL Orange Section, and his wife Brenda KI6WKQ. Later we were visited by Dick Norton N6AA, ARRL SW Division Director and Marty Woll N6VI, ARRL SW Division Vice-Director. (JM)
The Honorable Dana Rohrabacher is a Member of Congress representing California's 46th Congressional District, in which HBH is located. He and a member of his staff came to the hospital on Saturday afternoon to meet with HDSCS members. First, he learned about emergency commications from April Moell WA6OPS. Joe Moell KØOV showed him our satellite operations. (JM)
As he reminisced about learning Morse code in the Scouts, Congressman Rohrabacher tried out Joe's semi-automatic mechanical key, better known as a "bug." (JM)
Congressman Rohrabacher then visited the Scouts as they were getting on the air after their class. Here he is with some Scouts at one of our stations. (JM)
As an Eagle Scout himself, the Congressman had lots to say to the Scouts in attendance. (JM)
Richard Thompson WA6NOL makes single-sideband contacts on Station #1 as Jay Thompson W6JAY logs. (JM)
Testing for all levels of Amateur Radio licenses was offered at 4 PM Saturday. These three hams are part of the Volunteer Examiner team that administered the exams. They are Kim DeCelles K9KIM, Jay Thompson W6JAY and Richard Thompson WA6NOL. (JM)
Dave West KI6EPI got some operating time in on Station #1 in the late afternoon. (AM)
Alex Valdez K9BLK made calls on Station #2 as Fred Wagner KQ6Q logged them. All contacts were logged on laptop computers, which were networked to a common database. (DW)
Rebecca Katzen KI6OEM, Grace Young and Alan Young AG6DE discussed handi-talkie performance with Jim McLaughlin AB6UF. (AM)
Patricia Beringer KI6RVU makes calls as daughter Monique KI6RVT waits to log the contacts. (JM)
Operations continued as night fell. Pete Martinez K2PTM is making contacts at Station #1. (JM)
This unusual antenna set is for making contacts through orbiting satellites that have been built by ham radio operators. The beam antennas are on a special portable azimuth/elevation mount held upright by an old tire. Tom Gaccione WB2LRH is eating pizza and aiming the antenna at a satellite passing overhead as Joe Moell KØOV (not shown) makes contacts. (JM)
One of the hospital's portable generators got a good test during this 24-hour operation. It was placed under this stairwell to reduce noise. (JM)
Sam Stratton W5AGX loves to operate in the wee hours. He spent almost all night working 40 meters and other bands. (JM)
Station #2 operated in Morse all night long. Rick Soikkeli AE6RS (shown here) started in the evening and Joe Moell KØOV (not pictured) took over for him in the middle of the night. Louie DeArman K6SM (at left) did some logging for Rick. (JM)
Tom Smith KB6A came up with a very detailed spreadsheet to help organize our Field Day setup and operations. He likes to operate using Morse, which he is doing here at the Station #2 on Sunday morning. (JM)
At the GOTA station on Sunday morning, Dale Petes KI6ANS got to operate under the guidance of Ken Simpson W6KOS. (AM)
Bob Duer N6YKX brought a complete digital ham radio station to demonstrate communications using the D-STAR mode. (JM)
There are extra contest points to be had for making some contacts with "natural power." On Sunday morning, one station was operated from this solar panel. (AM)
We tried to work every USA state and Canadian province and we got all but one. Where were the Nebraska stations? (AM)
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This page updated 1 July 2011