For the second time, the Shuswap Amateur Radio Club has worked Field Day at the Salmon Arm Airport in conjunction with the annual Shuswap Emergency Program Exposition and the Airport Appreciation Day which is held every second year.
The club’s first experience with Field Day at the airport was in 2012 during monsoon weather.
On the Sunday evening of June 22, 2012, Two-Mile Creek in Sicamous blew out, in what was the first major incident in the extensive flooding of Shuswap and Mara Lakes which resulted in over 300 evacuees registered at the Shuswap Emergency Support Services Reception Centre held in the Sicamous Seniors Centre.
As the photos attest, the weather in 2016 was much more conducive to large crowds enjoying a variety of exhibits and air-borne demonstrations. The SARC trailer had never before been exposed to so many members of the public at one venue.
I would like to add some further information to Ron’s report. The following members participated in Field Day setting up, transmitting and taking down the equipment:
Well, push the wrong key and you never know where you might end up – in this case a second reply. The following members participated in Field Day: Simon/VE7SLG, Ron/VE7RLE, Dave/VA7HDY, Bill/VE7KDK, Peter/VE7RZZ, Tom/VE7AMM, Phil/VE7BPH, Tim/VA7TMK, Robin/VE7HMN, Celia/VE7NIA, Wayne/VE7VT, Mike/VE7MK, Daryl/VA7DBC and Richard/VE6DSF. Hans/VE7OHR and Donna Rooy, with grandson Dallas stopped by for a visit as well as Ken/VE7FP and Marg/VE7DML Hoshowski, who are SARC lifetime members.
Twenty nine contacts were made on the 20 metre/SSB band, 15 contacts on 40 metre/SSB and 25 contacts on 40 metre CW.
While we didn’t set any records with our contacts made we had, as Ron mentioned in his comments, excellent public exposure. Unfortunately nobody took any pictures of our setup but we had a front line location, a table setup with some information and a 2 metre radio on display. We had several people come into the trailer to see the rig setup and listen to some of the radio traffic. Location and weather this year went a long way to let us show the public what amateur radio is all about.
Dave/VA7HDY