Field Day 2012: Report and Results

Go to Field Day Photos page


Results

Once again the club participated in the ARRL's annual Field Day event.  During a 24 hour period (2 p.m. Saturday June 24 to 2 p.m. Sunday June 25), hams in the US and Canada tried to make as many radio contacts as possible using radios running on emergency power (batteries, generators, solar panels, etc.). In addition, we used the event to promote ham radio participation to the general public, as well as our emergency support capabilities to the public, elected officials, and emergency response organizations, such as the Red Cross.

This year due to last minute changes we staffed only our main station in the field behind the Governor Livingston (GL) High School in Berkeley Heights at an elevation of 535 feet  atop the second Watchung Mountain.

At the GL site we ran 4 operating stations in portable shelters:

  • 1 VHF station on 2 and 6 meters (single side band voice and Morse code) using rotatable beams on a tower and,

  • 3 HF stations on 10 through 80 meters (one ran  mostly SSB, the second SSB and CW and the third was a Get on the Air, GOTA, station).

To make sure no one went hungry, a kitchen -- complete with gas grill -- was setup to provide cold beverages, meals, and snacks .  Many folks stepped in and nobody went hungry or without a chance to operate.

The weather was very good, few clouds, with some breezes, but a bumper crop of insects made some of us uncomfortable.  The dragonflys were out in force helping as best they could.  Band conditions were mixed -- nothing like the spectacular conditions of last year.  6 meters was disappointing; 10 meters was mostly dead; 15 moderate; 20 a zoo.  A lot of successful Phone operation on 40 meters.  Overall, not the best but certainly not the worst.

The GOTA station also had moderate success this year and, for the second time, honored Jerry Sevick (SK) by use of his call, W2FMI, that is assigned to the club.

Go to Field Day Photos page

2012 Results:

N2XJ finished #1 for Class 2A in the Hudson Division  and #73 nationwide for Class 2A (out of 406 stations). Our station made 1,535 QSO's and had a grand total of 4,604 points. We had a total of 35 operators who put N2XJ and W2FMI on the air.

N2XJ Results:

Score Summary:
  CW Digital Phone Total
Total QSOs 362 00 1173  xxx
Total Points
 
724
 
00
 
1173
 
 1897
 
Claimed QSO Score = 3,794
   (QSOs x 2 multiplier)

 

Description Points
100% Emergency power 200
Media Publicity100
Set-up in Public Place100
Information Booth100
NTS message to ARRL SM/SEC 0
W1AW Field Day Message100
Formal NTS messages handled - No.=10 0
Natural power QSOs completed 100
Site Visit by invited served agency official 0
Youth participation
  Youth operators=1
  Youth participants=2
20
Submitted via the Web 50
GOTA Bonus (W2FMI) 40
Total Bonus Points 840

Total 2012 Score (QSOs and Bonus Pts): 4,604

[N2XJ Final Total Score last year (2011):    6,120]

 

F-Station Comments

F-station operation was missed again this year.

Thanks to those operators who operated at N2XJ and to those who worked in all ways to make the weekend work!