SCHH ARC “This & That” – June 25 , 2024

2024 ARRL Field Day at Lake Somerset: A Great Team Effort

Questionable WX, Visit by SC SM NJ4Z, and Coverage by Sun City TV Preceded Operation of Five KE4HAM Stations

When morning dawned last Saturday, there was a lot of uncertainty about the SCHH ARC’s participation in the 2024 ARRL Field Day. Every weather forecast called for some rain during our set up time or the hours during which we were to operate. A quick Zoom meeting early on Saturday morning yielded a “green light” to set up our stations and to hope and/or pray that the weather would hold up.

Clubs and Individual Hams Across the USA Operated in June 22-23 ARRL Field Day. SCHH ARC’s KE4HAM was ON THE AIR!

After only one short period of rain just before 12 Noon, the weather held.

Nearly one-third of our club’s members and a few guests came to our 2024 ARRL Field Day at the Lake.

Member participation included K2OS, W1ZZ, WA6WAY, AI4HH, KD8Vl, K3WPA, AD5EN, AC4DH, KN8F, K2ITZ, WA8NLX, KQ4JKI, W4QNW, KO4AQI, KD8IH, and KB3FW.

This year’s Field Day was organized and coordinated by WA6WAY, Bob Officer, and AI4HH, Ron Frick. There were many helping hands to make this year’s event a huge success.

Bob Officer, WA6WAY, and Ron Frick, AI4HH — Field Day Chairs in their Field Day Chairs

Set-up began before 11 AM. There was a lot to do. Getting three wire antennas (15M, 20M, and 40M for SSB operations) up in the trees around the Lake Somerset picnic area takes time, talent, and effort.

Rick Garan, WA8NLX, prepares to launch 40M end-fed wire antenna into Lake Somerset trees with Dan Kreshak, KO4AQI, observing the preparations.

Logistics for our 2024 ARRL Field Day came from several sources. WA6WAY, provided his solar power charged golf cart battery power system to provide reliable 120 VAC off-the-grid power to our Field Day site. Ken Finke (KN8F), Ron Frick (AI4HH), Jack Frisch (K2ITZ), and Harve Hnatiuk, (KB3FW) brought their personal transceivers to the site. KB3FW brought his generator to back-up WA6WAY’s power system. KN8F brought his 20M dipole. Dennis Hopkins, AC4DH, contributed his 15M dipole and brought coaxial cables. Chip Miller provided a canopy for the CW station at the western-most point of our site. Rick Garan brought a 6M Moxon antenna with a support system to get it up in the air about 20 feet.

Dennis Hopkins, AC4DH, brought his wife, Toni to see the Field Day set-up crew in action and to contribute a 15M dipole and coaxial cables.

You get the picture: This was a real team effort.

The club provided lunch for all who helped during set-up. Several members brought snacks, water, and soft drinks for all to enjoy throughout the event.

At the tail end of set-up, our SC Section Manager John Gendron (NJ4Z) visited us from Rock Hill. Rock Hill is not right around the block from SCHH. Google Map indicates it is close to a 225 -mile drive. The SCHH crew assembled amidst our set-up work to show John around our site and to meet with him for an ARRL and SC Section update. All from our club were happy to have John join us on Field Day.

SCHH ARC President Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW, with SC Section Manager John Gendron, NJ4Z, who visited the Lake Somerset site.

As NJ4Z was saying his farewells to our members, Sun City TV (SCTV) came to Lake Somerset to provide coverage of our Field Day operations. Chris Chase from SCTV interviewed KB3FW, KN8F, W1ZZ, and WA6WAY (and maybe others) with her teammates Ed Flantaca and Sam Chase. The SCHH ARC extends its heartfelt thanks to Chris, Ed, Sam, and SCTV for coming to our 2024 ARRL Field Day Event. The ARC greatly appreciates SCTV’s coverage.

SCTV team (L-to-R) Sam Chase, Ed Flantaca, and Chris Chase interview Bob Officer, WA6WAY at the golf cart electrical power center.

Operations began around 2 PM. KN8F manned the 20M SSB station with help from Ed Stratton, W1ZZ.

20M SSB Team included Ken Finke, KN8F (L) and Ed Stratton, W1ZZ (R) with Chip Miller, KQ4JKI lending a hand.

15M SSB had some early issues but settled in with some solid work by Sherwin Tames, W4QNW.

Sherwin Tames, W4QNW, worked Kenya along with some other DX stations on 15M SSB.

K2ITZ worked on 40M SSB and had Dan Kreshak, KO4AQI, on the mic for awhile as well.

Safety Officer Jack Frisch, K2ITZ, did a fine job on 40M SSB.

WA8NLX and AI4HH managed the 6M FT8 operations.

Rick Garan, WA8NLX, operated on 6M FT8 with the Moxon antenna that he brought and donated to the club.

KB3FW and Frank Pollino (K2OS) did the brass pounding on 20M CW.

Frank Pollino, K2OS,(Top) and Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW operated an ICOM 7300 with the club’s multiband dipole on 20M CW

Bob McCormick (KD8IH) and KQ4JKI helped to set up and keep the CW station’s canopy from sailing away or tumbling down on the operators.

Bob McCormick, KD8IH (L), and Chip Miller, KQ$JKI (R) set up a canopy for the CW station and then helped to keep it up during gusty winds at the Lake.

Together, the KE4HAM Field Day Team notched 148 QSOs (4 on 6M FT8, 14 on 15M SSB, 43 on 20M SSB, 70 on 20M CW, and 17 on 40M SSB). This was the SCHH ARC’s best Field Day effort in the past three years. KB3FW is finalizing the log and entry for our Field Day efforts and hopes to send them in to the ARRL well before the deadline.

Many thanks to all who provided their time, talents, and treasures to the club’s 2024 ARRL Field Day!

Upcoming Club Events and Meetings

August 3rd — Hunting Island POTA and NLLW Activation: Thanks to Jack Frisch, K2ITZ, for setting this up. More info to follow.

Note that there are no membership meetings in July and August. Our next membership meeting will be held on Thursday, September 5th. More details to follow.

Club Website

Click here to get to the Club’s website: https://www.ke4ham.org.

If you notice any errors or have site-related questions, please email the webmaster; email: webmaster@ke4ham.org.

SCHH ARC Nets Sailing Into Summer

Have you checked in to one of the SCHH ARC nets lately?

These are our nets. Enjoy them. They are very special and give us the opportunity to connect with each other on a regular basis while testing our equipment’s connectivity capabilities.

Please keep our nets alive and well by checking in when you can.

Weekly SCHH ARC Nets

Sunday’s Net (8 PM) operates on 147.550 MHz simplex and EchoLink node: KE4HAM – L except on the Sunday after our club’s membership meeting. On the Sunday after our club membership meeting as well as on July 7th and August 4th, the Sunday Net will be on the KE4HAM repeater (147.135 + with a tone of 91.5 on both the input and the output). The KE4HAM Repeater Net can also be accessed via EchoLink at KE4HAM-R.

Wednesday‘s Net (8 PM) operates through the KK4ONF/Jasper repeater, 147.060+ and EchoLink node: KE4HAM-R

Net Control Stations and EchoLink Coordinator

Thanks to our regular Net Controls: Bob Officer, WA6WAY; Frank Pollino, K2OS; Russ Treadwell, N1ZK; and Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW.

Thanks to Ron Frick, AI4HH, for continually working to keep our SCHH ARC nets on EchoLink.

Net Control Schedule:

— Wednesday, June 26 @ 8 PM ET: Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW (JASPER COUNTY REPEATER)

— Sunday, June 30 @ 8 PM ET: Bob Officer, WA6WAY (SIMPLEX)

If you are interested in being a Net Control, please let Harve know.

SCHH ARC Net Reports:

Thanks to ALL who checked in to our SCHH ARC nets last week.
If you have the time, please check into our club’s nets on a regular basis.

Last week’s check-ins and traffic:

— Wednesday, June 19 : KE4HAM/K2OS, AI4HH, KQ4JKI, KJ4BSM, K3WPA,, K2ITZ, WA6WAY, W1ZZ, KQ4KOO, KB3FW. QNI=10. QTC+0.

— Sunday, June 23: KE4HAM/WA6WAY, AI4HH,.K2ITZ, KB3FW, K2OS, K3WPA, AD5EN, KQ4JKI, WA8NLX, KJ4BSM. QNI=10, QTC=0.

Note: QNI = Number of Check-ins to the net, including Net Control; QTC = Traffic handled (Radiograms).

Other Operating:

Daily — Monitor the new KE4HAM Repeater: 147.135 MHz + with a tone of 91.5. You may get some good DX spots from time to time and other members may be there if you want to connect/chat.

Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW