I had a fabulous time working Field Day with the Warminster
Amateur Radio Club, here in the Philly area.  We ran in class 7A, and I
worked the one CW station for all bands.  We had only two CW ops.  I was
either on the air, or logging for the other op, 22.5 hours of the time.
Between the two of os, we racked up over 600 CW contacts.  This was the
first FD in 38 years that I've done with a club, or with a couple of
friends in a backyard at somebody's house, and it was as much fun as I
remembered it being.
	I learned something important from the experience, too, or
perhaps was somehow reminded of something that common sense would
suggest.  I joined the club just this year, in January.  It's a club of
about 130 dues-paying members, about sixty of whom turn out for the
monthly club meetings.  I wouldn't say they were unfriendly, but I was
having some difficulty figuring out how to get to know them.  Of course,
with a group that size, you have to run fairly structured meetings, if
you want to get anything done.  So, members sit at several long tables
during the formal part of the old and new business and the featured
presentation.  There's usually a ten-minute break for coffee and
doughnuts and the 50-50, but when the meeting is over, people usually
head for their cars.
	I told myself to be patient and to give them and myself at least
months to make a decision; I reasoned that the $20 for membership
wouldn't be a big loss, if I walked away.
	I almost didn't go to Field Day, because any inquiries I made at
the June club meeting about getting a ride from home or a train station
near the FD site got very vague "I'm sure we can figure something out"
responses.  And three days before the contest, I hadn't received the
vaguely-promised contact info one member said he'd send with the phone
numbers of people I might call in my area.
	I got on the club web site, found the last newsletter, and
located the phone number of the FD coordinator.  He volunteered to pick
me up from the train, and from that point on, things took a turn for the
much better.
	When we arrived at the site, there were perhaps ten guys putting
up tents and antennas, setting up generators, etc.  I wasn't sure how
much I could help them (although I think I'll be much more comfortable
next year, now that I know what goes on), but I did notice in a short
time that they had forgotten several items from the barn where they keep
a lot of their gear.  No one had brought rope, a sledge hammer, duct
tape, so I offered to start a list on my Braille Note for next year.
Every time they discovered something wasn't there, someone would yell,
"Dave, add gas cans (or the 2 32-foot masts, or whatever) to your list."
	
By the time we broke out lunch, I knew things were going to be fine.
And then, once I met the two "hams" for the CW station, I knew I was in
for a great weekend.  Dale was a real go-getter, totally psyched, like
me, to stay up all night and work everyone we could.  Bill, the team
captain, doesn't work CW, but he turns out to be one of the most
generous, thoughtful people, a great team leader who makes sure everyone
has a job, and that they fit in.  Thanks to some people on this list who
suggested the n3fjp logging software as the most JAWS-friendly, I
purchased the suite of programs from Scott's web site on Tuesday morning
and had my passwords by that afternoon.  As luck would have it, that's
the same program the club uses, so we used my laptop at the CW tent, and
I was able to do logging when I wasn't on the air.
	I tell this story, because I know how hard it can be to try to
break into a new group, especially when disability figures into the mix.
And my fortunate experience, this time, is no guarantee that it will
always turn out well.  What I can be certain of is that, in the future,
when I make my venture into another new group of some kind, I can recall
this one, remembering the initial discouragement, awkwardness, and
lackluster enthusiasm, and that it took patience, persistance, and
getting involved with smaller groups of people working on a common task
to break the ice.
	I can't wait to get to the next meeting to see my new friends.
With Field Day over, we'll have time to talk about the rainstorm that
just about washed us away, or whatever those nasty bugs wrier that bit
like hell, afterward, or how wide open 40 was at night, when we had
pile-ups on our CQs, so that it felt like we were on a DX-pedition, more
than on a Field Day outing.

Dave Simpson

W I 3 Y
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mike Duke, K5XU
Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2008 10:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Who Among Us Operated Field Day


Just curious after the fact, how many of us operated Field Day with a
club 
or group of friends out in the field this year?

I know at least one other list member ran a cw station for his club 
throughout the event.

I put in several hours at my club's cw station yesterday, with about an
hour 
off for lightning and 2.5 inches of rain that caused the 40 meter ssb
tent 
to collapse.





Mike Duke, K5XU
American Council of Blind Radio Amateurs


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