Last June 23rd, was the annual "Field Day" where Amateur Radio Operators simulate Emergency Communications conditions by communicating with eachother, some with emergency power and temporary antennas. Some members of theTrinity County Amateur Radio Club were in Hayfork on that day providing safety and logistical communications for the locally sponsored California Trail Riders Association event at Indian Valley, near the "Old Forest Service Guard Station".
The equestrians depart the Starting point at the Guard Station along marked trails to compeat against time and eachother on various legs of the of the trail. These trails average 14 to 17 miles and may contain four to six check-points. At a couple of these check-points the horses are given a "mini-physical", checking their pulse and respiration. At other locations the riders are put through a short obstacle course and both the horse and rider are judged for their performance.
There were three rides over that weekend; Saturday AM, Saturday PM, and Sunday AM. They begin and end at the Guard Station where the the horses are monitored for physical condition at the start and finish of the ride. The local sponsors and radio amateurs were involved with making sure the horses had water at check points if there was not a stream nearby.There was a Veterinarian on call at the Guard Station for any for any injured participants...man or beast. There were "drag" riders to make sure that everyone that sarted the race is accounted for.
The TCARC furnished communications between checkpoints and the base station at the Guard Station. KA6GSD, Art Zacharias, KG6BHZ, Raymon Campbell and WD6AIA, Bob Martin were able to cover most of the check-points by leap-frogging when and where necessary. More TCARC member participation is needed. Atleast 3 more TCARC members were needed, pencil in your calendar for next year. A base-station operator was drafted in case of emergency, fortunately there were no casualties or lost riders.
The organizers and riders thanked the TCARC members present magnamimously and invited TCARC to return next year. This is the third year that TCARC has provided this valuable service. Phyllis and Jayne followed the "action" from the RV encampment at the Guard Station. It was an enjoyable weekend, all TCARC members and friends are invited to join in the fun and help provide this communications support in 2002. Thanks to Bob Martin, WD6AIA for his report in the TCARC, July 2001 newsletter, about these Field Day activities all information for this article was stolen from his article.
Greg, WB6FZH
Another TCARC member, WB6FZH, Greg was in Weaverville constrained by work requirements, but participating in another Field Day emergency communications activity. He was monitorng his HF radio, when he heard a strong signal, a woman's voice from the VHF speaker behind him..."Space Station Alpha, NA1SS, QRZ"...these were words that he had hoped to hear for quite some time.. The push-to-talk button on the hand held microphone was squeezed so hard that it is amazing that it did not fracture. FZH slowly and clearly repeated his callsign twice and released the button ("twice is the trick!").. A burst of static later Astronaut Air Force Col. Susan Helms parroted back his callsign, recognizing him to go ahead and transmit. The next words were brief and simple, a "thank you" for all that she was doing for Amateur Radio, and his best wishes. She replied with a "Thank you" and mentioned she was also involved with the "Field Day" exercise using her hand held, battery operated, 2 watt 2 meter VHF FM tranciever. FZH completed the FD exchange and logged the contact. The contact was brief, because the Weaverville Ham knew that there were many more stations waiting in the "footprint" of the space station antenna as it passed in an Easterly direction 250 miles above.
Smiling from ear to ear, Greg turned off the small tape recorder that he instinctively turned on to capture the event to save and share with other local radio enthusiasts. He knew he could "talk" to the ISS, because he regularly communicates digitally by "packet" radio using the his computer keyboard via the same ISS Ham Radio set as it sits velcroed to the wall of the space station It is left turned "on" as a 2 watt (low power) "digipeater station", repeating all the signals it clearly hears for all to "see" on their computer screens on earth within the "footprint" of ISS. The ISS " packet space relay". has exchanged signals from Trinity County to Texas, Alaska, BC, Mexico, Nevada, Montana, Northern California, and many other locations. The same places were previously covered by the late, great MIR Space Station.
Susan Helms on ISS operating Ham Radio Station, on July 16, 2001
BE PREPARED
Field Day is an important day to Radio Amateurs, it is a reminder that we need to keep our equipment and supplies ready for deployment under any circumstance. Hand-held radios, Mobile Radios, Portable Radios, Fixed location radios at an Emergency Communications Trailer (Like the one TCARC/TCARES maintains) or station located at a home or office, they are all very important assets to the community. Visit our TCARESs Website.
If you are already a Ham Radio Operator, review your supplies, and lists for emergencies. Especially your "72 hr Deployment Kit" that you have pre-packed with an inventory and positioned with a list of items that need to be added to it on your way out the door.
If you are not an Amateur Radio Operator you can see, Amateur (Ham) Radio is not just morse code, vacuum tubes and shortwave anymore.. There are satellites to relay from, portable battery sets you can build youself to take hiking with a thin wire as your antenna, slow scan television to send a image across the county or the world, voice, data, packet, morse code, radios for your purse, pocket, mobile or table top at home all for you to communicate with.
The members of the Trinity County Amateur Radio Club invite you to their meetings in Weaverville and other locations throughout the year.They may be contacted through PO Box 2283 in Weaverville,CA 96093 or e-mail from their website.
They would be happy to help you obtain a license. Now, in recent years you nolonger need to be a part-time rocket scientist with lots of pens in your pocket, and calculator on your belt to be licensed... just the desire to communicate and serve your community. Simple self-study books are availiable for less than $20.00 through the club or your favorite bookstore.
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Last Updated: May 15, 2005FZH