Field Day Report

Field Day 2000

Well Field Day 2000 has come and gone. Once again if you weren't there you really missed out. There was plenty of fun for everyone. Nancy had been planning for days different ways of making Marylou think she was getting a puppy but she outsmarted her by being there. Lee had been working way to much the few days before and was so tired that he was sleeping when the late night story time came around but did get woke up in the early morning hours to take over the mic for a while.

There were some new firsts this year. The moose attack on the lawn chairs will not be soon forgotten by the ones that witnessed it, the few moments when we thought a forest fire had been spotted on the other side of the canyon will also be remembered for a while.

Things went very well this year except for the rain that tried its best to drown everyone, and the accompanying lightning that scared Mike Dunker and Lamond Harrison off the air for a little while. The news of Mike and Layne Clabaugh's daughter being involved in a car accident was disappointing and scarry also, Thankfully she was fine and just shook up and stiff and sore.

The generator ran very well and one tank of diesel lasted all but the last hour or so. The Card's turkey was great again, they have an enormous amount of patience and always do a terrific job.

Clifton and John brought the excitement and enthusiasm that comes from being involved with their first Field day.

Kay, Lisa, and Mike did a wonderful job of securing the site for us and keeping the camp host happy.

Oh and by the way there was this little contest going on also, we made 257 contacts ranging from Alaska to Florida and from Canada to Texas. We ran one radio nonstop except for the brief downtime due to lightning, and worked on three bands.

I would like to thank everyone who helped in anyway to pull this off it was a very good time and it was mostly due to everyone else's efforts. Thanks again and I hope to see everyone next year.

Thanks 73 Von

Festivities marred

On Thursday prior to Field Day, Mike, KD7GHF, Layne and young son, went up to the Wandin Camp Ground for a little rest and relaxation prior to the FD start. That evening their daughter, Jennifer, and two of her friends were turning off the Maeser Highway to the home of one of the girls. Their car became the target of a drunk. Three frightened, bruised, and shook up girls were checked out at the hospital and released. The car, totaled.

The people camped at Wandin did not have a radio on. No way to get in touch with them. Jay, KA7BPB, made a quick trip to let Mike and Layne know what had happened. Modern technology was of no use. Layne did get out once on a cell phone only to see the note "low battery" appear. The car battery was low? The amateur radio repeater on Blue Mtn was inaccessible. We were assured that the cell phone would work at the top of the first little hill after reaching the hard surfaced road. OK, off we go. Arrived at the designated spot and modern technology failed again. Layne's cell phone wasn't working. Jay's UBET cell phone couldn't seem to make it either. Amateur radio plus modern technology came to the rescue. The phone patch on the Blue Mtn repeater was accessed. Layne was able to talk to Jennifer and to her sister and was assured that everything was OK, except the car. A quick trip to Vernal and back and everything was under control.

Shades of the Past

Fortunately for the participants, most years the weather has cooperated and FD has been very enjoyable. During the course of the past twenty years we have experienced snow, hail, rain, lightning and thunder, as well as wind and sunshine. If you don't like the weather, wait, it will change. This year was no different. Beautiful sunshine in the mornings, then clouds built up and there would be rain. Later in the day. As the Saturday evening potluck dinner was being made ready to serve, the heavens opened up. The lightning was reminiscent of the year at Paradise Park when the antenna of Larry (N7DF) Strain was hit and Larry developed wings on his feet and departed the tent in double time. Fortunately, this year, lightning was not that close but the thunder seemed to follow immediately. Prudence was the better part of valor and the radio was turned off. The rain stopped long enough for dinner to be eaten.

Club Call Sign

We have received a club call sign and then applied for a vanity call which was also granted, so we are now W7BAR. Although never voted on by the club Chandler Fisher W7BYU is the trustee of the call sign and I think the plan is to have the club repeaters changed so they will use the new call. The request for the vanity call was approved to late to be used for the field day contest but it will be used next year and probably every year thereafter.

July Meeting

July's meeting will be July 15, 2000 at The Remember The Maine Park, 6:00 pm. If anyone is tired of these meeting places or has a better idea please speak up any input would be appreciated.

Minutes of June meeting

Meeting was held at the home of Von and Nancy Johnson. Finale repairs on the club generator and trailer were done. The purchase of a battery for the trailer was approved and purchase of a radio for the Field Day drawing was finalized. Chandler was reimbursed for the cost of the Club Call Sign. 12 club members and 2 quests were present. Cookies and soda was served and a lot of fun conversation was enjoyed.

MEET THE HAMS

Lee Turner KK7SI. Lee has been a ham for about 2 ½ yrs, zipping right up there to extra. (Nice job). Lee served a LDS mission to Argentina were he was introduced to large bridge building ants and other story worthy oddities good for late nite field day conversation. His hobbies are radio, cars, and computers besides driving trucks. Lee graduated from UVSC in electronics while there he met his

lovely wife Mary Lou who was studying child development. They were married 19 yrs . ago and moved to Vernal where they still make their home. Mary Lou's hobbies are reading, shopping and yard sales, and her favorite show is the Young

and the Restless. Lee and Mary Lou have 4 children Billy, Brad, Maren, and Amy Kira. They are very active in church activities and are True Blue club members. Having attended almost every meeting, they are a great asset to our group. Lee is vice president of the club , net control , and all around great guy!

Why Didn't Noah Smack Those Two Mosquitoes?

If you throw a cat out of the car window, does it become kitty litter?

If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn?

Is it OK to use the AM radio after noon?

What do chickens think we taste like?

What do people in China call their good plates?

What do you call a male ladybug?

What hair color do they put on the driver's license

of a bald man?

When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?

Why are there Interstates in Hawaii?

Why are cigarettes sold at gas stations where

smoking is prohibited?

Have you ever imagined a world without hypothetical situations?

How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work?

If the 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a

year, why does it have locks on the door?

If a cow laughs, does milk come out of her nose?

If you are driving at the speed of light and you

turn your headlights on, what happens?

Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of a drive-up ATM machine.

Why is it that when you transport something by car

it is called shipment, but when you transport something by ship it's called cargo?

What would Geronimo say if he jumped out of an airplane?

Why are they called apartments when they are all

stuck together?