Field Day 2014

On Friday, June 27, David Ross, David Reece, Ron Pace, Sam McInturff, Kirk Kirckgasler, Ray Hughes, Jody Huneycutt, Jimmy Hitt, Jim Hadder, Ed Fitzpatrick, Paul Craft and David Barlitt met at 4:00 p.m. at the Lions Club Fairgrounds and installed the antennas needed for the Saturday/Sunday Field Day operations.  The usual pizza supper was omitted because a pouring, driving thunderstorm started just about the time all the antenna installations were completed.

On Saturday, the same group, plus Winn Hall and Marsha Greenwood were on hand to operate one or more of the 3 stations that EARS and Gilmer County ARES had on the air.   Dallas Miller, EARS member and Gilmer County Commissioner, came by for a visit to all the stations. 

At 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Ed Fitzpatrick provided the technical expertise to guide several of our club members during a Fox Hunt Antenna build workshop.  Geron Crawford, David Barlitt, Jody & Sharon Huneycutt, Charlie Stemman, Rose Denehy and her grandson, Brandon Carney, Ray Hughes and Kirk Kirchgasler worked on constructing these antennas.  Later this year, the club will sponsor a fox hunt, where these antennas can be used.  The antenna design, circuit design, circuitboards and kit assembly was done by Ed 'Fitz' Fitzsimmons, who also brought equipment to test the final completed antennas.

A cookout was held in conjunction with Field Day.  22 members and their guests participated.  The Club provided plates, tableware, iced tea, and cooking was by Winn Hall.  The burgers, which were excellent, were provided by Darlene Hitt, Jimmy's Mom.    Chicken/apple sausage was provided by Jim and Sherry Hadder.  The side dishes were brought by all participants - and all of them were good.

Several members stayed through the night, making contacts with other hams all over the country.  We didn't contact all states, but we were close.  Even Alaska and Washington were contacted.  One contact we could hear, but weren't able to speak with, was E51AND, transmitting from Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, between Fiji and Tahiti.  The pile-up was too big, we were too far away to break through it, and the ham on Rarotongo, Andy Duncan, got tired and quit before the pile-up thinned out.  (Check out Andy's page on QRZ.com- very interesting)

All-in-all, though, at last count, we had 214 SSB contacts and 167 PSK contacts.  Digital contacts, unfortunately, were few because of technical problems with feed lines and computers.  Those working digital, however, deserve just as much recognition for their efforts as those doing SSB or PSK.  They worked even harder, trying to find out the source of their difficulties.  Much of it appeared to be due to a damaged coax.

Check out the attached photos to see how much fun we all had at Field Day 2014.

                                                                                                           Antenna build on Friday afternoon

                                                    Rose & her grandson, Brandon Carney, with their completed antenna

                                                         David Barlitt operating SSB while Jimmy Hitt logs in the contacts

                                                David Ross, Winn Hall and Doug Barker try working the digital station

   Geron Crawford putting together his Fox Hunt Antenna

                                                                Sharon Huneycutt - circuit board building - Fox Hunt antenna

                                                                                                                        Jim Hadder operating SSB

                             Digital station on the left; Antenna workshop in the center; PSK station on the right

                                                                          Marsha Greenwood and Paul Craft at the digital station

                      Paul Craft -logging contacts; Jim Hadder - operating SSB; Ray Hughes - in background

                                                                                                                         Ron Pace - operating PSK

                                                                                               Winn Hall and Ron Pace - Operating PSK

                                                                                                         Ron Pace setting up his PSK station

                                                               Ron's power source for his station - true emergency operations

                                   Sharon Huneycutt & Brandon Carney solder components on their circuit boards

                                                       Geron Crawford inserts antenna wire in the PVC antenna enclosure


Note:  Please excuse caption placement.  The software is not cooperating on this placement.JEH

Tom Tanner, W4WOK, Silent Key

On the morning of June 9, 2014, W4WOK, Tom Tanner, passed away at home from a heart attack.  While Tom had been feeling bad recently, he had no history of heart problems.  He is survived by his wife Lisa, KI4WSU and their daughter, Gail.  No services have been scheduled at this time, as per the family's wishes.  Please keep Lisa and Gail in your prayers.  Tom will be sorely missed by family, friends and fellow hams.  He had recently been very active in both the EARS Monday night net and in the Gilmer County ARES Monday night net.

EARS Members Provide Emergency Radio Availability for 3rd SORBA Bike Race

March 2, 2014

As they have done for the first two of the three SORBA Bike Races this Winter, EARS members provided emergency radio availability for the 3rd and last SORBA Mountain Bike Race, Saturday, March 1st.  David Ross, Kirk Kirchgasler, Jimmy Hitt and Jody Huneycutt worked the 400+ participant race along with Hams from several other northwest Georgia counties.  All are also members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), an ARRL affiliated group that works with local government and Emergency Management agencies in case of local or regional disasters where normal modes of communication are unavailable either because of direct damage or lack of electrical power.

The EARS members were deployed to an Aid Station location at the end of the Forest Service Road off Stover Creek Road near the community of Carbondale, southwest of Dalton, GA.  The Aid Station location is on top of the ridge of Middle Mountain where the Pinhoti Trail runs up to the ridge crest on it's way back north for the approximately 8.5 mile leg to the Trade Center at Dalton, where the finish line is located.  The two races run simultaneously are a 17 mile race, starting at Snake Creek Gap on GA Hwy 136 and a 34 miles race starting at a parking area on East Armuchee Road in south Walker County, south of the community of Villanow.  Both races end at the Trade Center west of I-75 at the Walnut Street exit.

February Activities

The February, 2014 meeting of EARS was held on Wednesday, the 19th, 6 days later than usual, due to a snow & ice storm and dangerous road conditions on the normal meeting day of Feb 13.  Approximately 25 members attended.  A new member was voted in - Rose Denehy- and she accepted the position of Club Secretary.  A motion to hold a HamFest on Saturday March 15 was approved.

Several members attended the Dalton Hamfest on Feb 22.  Among them were Paul Craft, David Ross, Tom Koch, Jim Hadder and Jody Huneycutt.  Tom Mullinix was there, promoting our up-coming HamFest.

EARS Members Participate in Emergency Radio Stations for SORBA Mountain Bike Race

SORBA Mountain Bike Race #2 of 3

On February 1, four EARS members, Kirk Kirchgasler, KK5USA; David Ross, KK4NTC; Sharon Huneycutt, KK4NTD and Jody Huneycutt, K4EPH, participated in providing emergency radio communications for the SORBA Mountain Bike Race, held on the Pinhoti Trail in Walker and Whitfield Counties.  This was the 2nd of a series of 3 races held on the first Saturdays of January, February and March, this year.  401 Bikers raced in two events, taking place simultaneously - a 17 mile race and a 34 mile race - both ending at the Trade Center in Dalton, GA.  Our members manned the Stover Creek Aid Station, situated on the ridge of Middle Mountain, about 4 miles west of the Carbondale Road Exit on I-75.

A few photos, typical of the day, are shown below.

This past Saturday, January 25, several of our Club members, Paul Craft, Jim Hadder and Jody Huneycutt, attended the 2014 State ARES Convention at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, GA.  One of our club members, who is a part-time resident of Gilmer County, but who lives in North Fulton, Tom Koch, was awarded "HAM OF THE YEAR".  

CONGRATULATIONS, TOM.  We are pleased that you are a member of EARS.

2014 Georgia Death Race

Gilmer County ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service), in conjunction with the Ellijay Amateur Radio Society (E.A.R.S.), will be providing radio communications again this year for the Georgia Death Race, a 60 mile footrace through the North Central Georgia mountains, from Vogel State Park, south of Blairsville, to Amicalola Falls State Park, between Ellijay and Dahlonega, on Saturday/Sunday March 15 & 16, 2014.  Amateur radio operators interested in volunteering to work this event as communicators can contact the Incident Commander, Jim, KE4ZX, via his e-mail, jehadder@comcast.net, for further information.  Over 40 operators are needed.