South Mountain Radio Amateurs

Field Day 2009 was a smashing success and lots of fun.  This page will be kept in-tact as an archive of 2009’s event and it will be updated in the Spring of 2010 after our Field Day planning meeting.  Thanks to all who attended.

On June 27-28th, the South Mountain Radio Amateurs will join tens of thousands of other radio amateurs across the country for Field Day 2009.  The public, other operators, local/state/federal officials, and youngsters (in other words, ANYBODY!) are cordially invited for a demonstration of and participation in radio communications.  Anyone, licensed or not, young or old, has the opportunity to get on the air and experience communication without the assistance of cell phones, telephones, or the internet — and the other person will hear your voice as fast as the speed of light.

We’ll be hosting the event at the Cumberland County Emergency Services Training Academy, 180 Army Heritage Drive, Carlisle.  Things get started at 8:00am on Saturday the 27th when we setup our radio transceivers and construct the antennas (you can come to watch, but we’ll be pretty busy).  Field Day officially starts at 2:00pm on Saturday the 27th, which is when we’ll be ready to demonstrate our radio capabilities and let you communicate with other folks across the country — you might even talk to another unlicensed, curious person who is visiting their local radio club just like you.

We will cease operation and begin tear-down on Sunday the 28th around 12:00pm.

Here’s some of the fun things we have planned:

Radio Communications

A huge part of what we do is radio communications using phone, which isn’t telephone — we just use the term “phone” when we mean talking.  There’s no cell phone towers or network, no telephone company wires, no internet — just the radio transceiver and an antenna (in fact, we sometimes power it by using a standard 12-volt car battery).  Our communications experience no delay as radio waves travel at the speed of light.  Anyone, regardless of age or whether you have a license, can get on the air and see what its like to have a short conversation with someone hundreds, and even thousands, of miles away just as if they were standing next to you.

Pictured from Field Day 2008 is (L-R): SMRA Vice President Bob Raker, W0BR, Jerry Sodus, KM3K.  Jerry is operating on the 40 meter band and Bob is logging his contacts.

Amateur Television (ATV)

It’s more than just radio.  You can broadcast video, too.  An ATV transmitter and receiver will be setup at the site, enabling those with ATV receivers at home to watch the excitement (and to reflect on why they’re not out there with us), as well as those in attendance at Field Day to see what we’re broadcasting or watch other amateurs broadcast ATV.

Morse Code (CW)

Dah-di-dah-dit Dah-dah-di-dah.  We use the abbreviation “CW” when we’re talking about Morse Code (it’s a long explanation as to why).  For something that’s been around much longer than any of us have been alive, Morse code is still widely used and is the preferred method of long-range communication during bad conditions where you would barely be able to make out a word of a conversation.

Pictured is from Field Day 2008 is SMRA Secretary Scott Walker, N3SW, operating morse code on the 20 meter band.

Digital Radio (RTTY, PSK)

There are several digital modes of communication which require a computer.  Two of the popular methods of digital radio are Radio Teletype (RTTY, which is pronounced “ritty”) and Phase-Shift Keying (PSK).  RTTY is slightly faster and has a little more error-checking than PSK, but both allow you to see someone typing on their computer in real-time — you see the letters appearing as fast as the other person can type them.  Because it’s digital, you can communicate much farther than talking and use less power.

APRS/Packet

Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) is another kind of digital radio communication that uses a thing we call “packet radio.”  It uses short bursts of digital data; think of it like text messaging for radio.  You can use a GPS to find your location as you move around or if you know your location you can type it in, then APRS broadcasts that to other stations.  There are gateways stations which listen on the air, translate what we send into English, and put it on a website using Google Maps.  We’ll have a computer on hand for you to see the hundreds of local people broadcasting their whereabouts.

For the weather watchers out there, APRS allows you to set up a weather station, interface it to your computer, and have the current weather conditions broadcast at a set interval.  The National Weather Service makes use of this data.

Additionally, you can sometimes use APRS to send email.  If there are one of those gateway stations listening and translating stuff for use on the Internet, it may be set up to translate email.  You would broadcast a small message and if the gateway station hears you, your message is converted to email and sent.  This is very useful in emergency communications as a last ditch effort to keep messages flowing.  Come send yourself an email!

National Traffic System (NTS)

Hurricane Katrina.  September 11th.  Cyclones.  Earthquakes.  Tsunamis.  One of amateur radio’s slogans is, “When all else fails…”, which is proven each and every time we experience a tragedy.  Regular communications are disrupted — nobody can call for help from the inside, nobody can inquire about the welfare of a loved one from the outside, and even government agencies trying to help can’t talk to each other.  The National Traffic System, or NTS, is a formal way to send messages (about the equivalent of a short email) across the world in a matter of days, hours, or even minutes.  The message is relayed by amateur radio operators either by voice, Morse code, or a digital mode; none of which rely on cell phones, telephone, the internet or anything else that could be disabled during a disaster.  In fact, the organization which sponsors Field Day, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), was started in 1914 for this exact purpose — the relay of messages.

Of course, we don’t have disasters all the time.  The majority of messages we send are informational and help us test the way we deliver messages and train new operators so that we’re ready if disaster strikes.  You’ll be able to see how we accomplish the huge task of sending a message across the globe, and even have the opportunity to send a short message to someone — they don’t even have to be an amateur radio operator to receive it!

Pictured from Field Day 2007, SMRA Secretary Scott Walker, N3SW, is copying a message received via Morse code.  The computers infront of him are used for digital delivery of large numbers of messages (PACTOR).

Antennas

Those big metal things we have up in the air are what allows us to communicate.  While they come in all shapes and sizes, the size mainly depends on what frequency we’re going to use.  The lower the frequency, the bigger the antenna.  Some of the equipment we’ll be constructing in the morning:

- 500 foot antenna that we circle around the entire facility.

- 120 foot antenna that we tie to the top of a tall tower

We’ll also be constructing other antennas during the day to show how easy it is to do so.

Pictured from Field Day 2008 is (L-R): SMRA Vice President Bob Raker, W0BR, Tony Bakagios, N3OSN, John Jaminet, W3HMS, SMRA Secretary Scott Walker, N3SW, and Todd Raymer, KB3FGZ.  They’re constructing an 80 meter “sloper” antenna.

Earth-Friendly Power

1,366 Joules of energy per square meter per second hit the earth from the sun’s radiation; that’s a lot.  The sun doesn’t just let plants grow and let us get tan — it can provide power!  We’ll have some of our solar-powered equipment on site.  Let’s hope for a sunny day.

Pictured from Field Day 2008 is a solar battery charging system built by John Jaminet, W3HMS.

Satellite

Hold the antenna in your hand, point it towards the sky, move it in an arc to match the movement of a satellite traveling around 18,000 miles per hour, and listen — because another operator may be doing the exact same thing thousands of miles away and the satellite connects the two of you together.

Pictured from Field Day 2008 is Tony Bakagios, N3OSN, pointing an antenna at the sky.  Along with Gary Hammaker, KB3EJZ (unpictured), they’re attempting to use a satellite as a relay to talk to other earth-bound stations.

Round-the-Clock Operating

Once we get started at 2:00pm on Saturday the 27th, we generally don’t stop until 12:00p on Sunday the 28th.  Even during the overnight we have an operator or two on the air searching for other night owls.  If your work schedule or family obligations don’t allow you to stop by during the daylight, we’ll still be there.

Pictured from Field Day 2008 is SMRA Vice President Bob Raker, W0BR, operating on the 80 meter band during the overnight hours.

Assistance with Getting Licensed

If you have a blast during Field Day and want to obtain a license of your own, we can help you out.  Our online section on licensing has a decent overview, but nothing beats someone taking you under their wing and showing you the ropes (we call them Elmers).

Starting this year, we’ll be able to give you your amateur radio test at Field Day!

Pictured from Field Day 2008 (L-R) is our favorite Trinity High School physics teacher Sean Barnes, N3JQ and his son Brenden, KB3PFS.

Joining the Club

Enjoyed your time with us?  We’ll have applications to become an SMRA member on-hand during Field Day.  If you have to think about it, we have a section online regarding joining the SMRA.  Membership is free to newly licensed amateurs (those who have been licensed less than 1 year).

Directions

Address is: 180 Army Heritage Dr, Carlisle, 17013
Landmarks: South Mountain Repeater Association banner or grey-colored tall watch tower

From the North…

1. I-81 SOUTH to Exit 49 HIGH ST/641
2. LEFT off ramp on to HIGH ST (TRINDLE RD)/641 EAST, away from Carlisle
3. Pass under I-81 and at the next light make a LEFT on to ARMY HERITAGE DR
4. Follow the road for about half a mile and the Training Facility will be on your LEFT

From the South…

1. I-81 NORTH to Exit 47 YORK RD/74
2. LEFT off the ramp on YORK RD/74 NORTH, towards Carlisle
3. Pass under I-81 and make the next RIGHT on to FAIRVIEW ST
4. Follow to the T-intersection and make a RIGHT on to HIGH ST/641 EAST
5. Pass under I-81 and at the next light make a LEFT on to ARMY HERITAGE DR
6. Follow the road for about half a mile and the Training Facility will be on your LEFT

Locally, from the North coming from Route 11…

1. Follow 11 SOUTH towards Carlisle
2. Turn LEFT on HARMONY HALL DR at the Sheetz
3. Follow to the T-intersection and make a RIGHT on to CLAREMONT RD
4. Make a LEFT on to ARMY HERITAGE DR
5. Follow the road for about a mile.  After you pass over I-81, the road will curve to the right.
6. Training Facility will be on your RIGHT

Locally, from the South coming from Route 34…

1. Follow 34 NORTH towards Carlisle
2. Turn RIGHT on I-81 NORTH
3. Follow to Exit 47 YORK RD/74
4. LEFT off the ramp on YORK RD/74 NORTH, towards Carlisle
5. Pass under I-81 and make the next RIGHT on to FAIRVIEW ST
6. Follow to the T-intersection and make a RIGHT on to HIGH ST/641 EAST
7. Pass under I-81 and at the next light make a LEFT on to ARMY HERITAGE DR
8. Follow the road for about half a mile and the Training Facility will be on your LEFT

If you’re already an amateur radio operator…

Talk-in on any of our repeaters, 145.430 or 146.460.

Field Day is for anybody who wants to see and/or participate in radio communications, licensed or not, and have a great time doing it.  The South Mountain Repeater Association is a group of friendly, knowledgeable radio amateurs who are very excited for a day of fun.  We all look forward to seeing you there.

Pictured from Field Day 2008 (L-R): John Jaminet, W3HMS, SMRA Vice President Bob Raker, W0BR, SMRA President Sam Michaels, KB3OOJ, SMRA Treasurer Jim Mussleman, K3XLT.