Emergency Ham operators Field Day Operation was a SUCCESS!

Posted on June 24, 2012 by AF7S
Leave a comment

Seven members of our unit participated in Field Day from the OEM ECC this year, all contributing to a final QSO total of 277 CW contacts and 135 SSB contacts.

Most importantly, all became more familiar with  HF equipment and capabilities. That was the number one goal. There was even one member who had never been on HF before who was able to spend some time operating.

Our total score, including bonus points was 2128, which would place us at about 25th in the country last year in the 2F category.

We also managed to work nearly every section in the US and most Canadian sections. We missed Rhode Island, Maine, South New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia, along with Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands – not bad for our small operations, low power and low antennas:

We discovered (or rather confirmed) that we really need some band pass filters on the gear so the 40 cw station doesn’t interfere with the 15 cw station, or the 80 and 40 SSB operations don’t interfere with each other. This will not only be important in something like Field Day, but really important if we ever have to be running emergency operations on two adjacent bands.
Thanks to those who participated this year. Next year, we encourage everyone to participate. It’s great training and experience, and even if you’ve never operated HF before, or never operated in a contest, don’t be hesitant. The skills you’ll build will help us in an actual emergency.

Message from US Fish and Wildlife service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would also like to remind the public that all of the rocks, reefs and island along the Oregon coast are included within the National Wildlife Refuge System and they are closed to public access to protect seabirds and pinnipeds (seals & sea lions). The public should never go ashore or climb on these and we request the boats voluntarily remain 500' away from the rocks and aircraft maintain a 2000' clearance over them or a 1/2 mile lateral distance. More information on the National Wildlife Refuges on the Oregon coast can be found at http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/ or by contacting this office.

Marine Organisms Buried

The marine organisms removed from the Agate Beach derelict dock were buried landward from the site. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff and volunteers removed about a ton and a half of plant and animal material. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department staff and a contractor excavated a hole approximately eight feet deep far above the furthest reach of high tides and storm surges. They emptied the bags into it and filled in the hole. Since the organisms require salt water to survive, this disposal method is safe and reliable.

No further action is expected at the site until a decision is made about disposing of the dock, a decision which should be made in the next couple of days. Two basic options are under review: towing it off the beach to a nearby port or harbor, or demolishing it on site and disposing of it in a landfill. No further information is available about the feasibility or potential costs of either method; we're still weighing the options.

Japanese Dock at Agate Beach

Agate Beach is open. Please stay off the dock.

June 7, 2012, Update 6: 1:15 p.m.

A team of about a dozen staff and volunteers organized by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife made quick work of removing marine organisms from the dock on the sand at Agate Beach. Workers with shovels, rakes and other tools first scraped the structure clean, then briefly used low-pressure torches to sterilize the dock.

The material was bagged and hauled up the beach well above the high tide line to store it temporarily. Fish and Wildlife staff and volunteers remove marine organisms from the dock.

For updated information - check these links.
dock 004y.jpg
dock 010y.jpg
dock 012y.jpg

A short burst of flame to finish the cleaning. dock 001y.jpg