The Philip B. Petersen Collection Broadcast September 28, 1990

     On the last weekend in June each year, thousands of radio amateurs all over America gather up their radio equipment and proceed to hundreds of outdoor locations and operate in the traditional amateur radio field day event.  Using tents, motor homes and camping trailers, radio clubs large and small, including hundreds of individual field day stations, set up their equipment away from home and commercial power.  This annual event was started in the 1930s by the American Radio Relay League as an emergency communications exercise as well as a contest to improve operating skills under simulated emergency conditions.  The contest is to see how many other field day stations can be contacted during the 24-hour continuous period of operation.
     The Garden State Amateur Radio Association, using the club call W2GSA, set up operations in Tatum Park in Middletown, New Jersey.  Slingshots and bows and arrows shoot pilot lines up on top of tall trees for wire antennas.  The rotating antennas are secured to portable masts.  The club's five-kilowatt generator and solar panels are working as the five radio transmitters are tuned up, ready to go.  At two PM Saturday, the radios come alive with hundreds of radio stations calling for contacts using Morse code, radio teletype, packet and voice communications.

     "You're a whiskey two but I need phonetics on your suffix.  You're four alpha Wisconsin.  OK?"
     "Roger your four alpha Wisconsin.  The call is W two garden state amateurs and we are five alpha Northern New Jersey.  Over."
     "OK.  W2GSA.  Thank you very much for NNJ.  73 and good luck."

     All five transmitters are working and contacts are made rapidly as the computers keep a running log.  The chef prepares many hearty meals but now it's midnight and that means pizza pies are ready.  The relief operators fill in as others get some shut-eye and new radio contacts are harder to get.

     "W2GSA.  W2GSA."
     "W2GSA.  W2GSA.  You're 1A Mississippi."
     "Roger your 1A Mississippi and we are five alpha Northern New Jersey.  Your call again please?"
     "Five alpha Northern New Jersey and the call is Kansas City 5 Kilowatt.  KC5K.  QSL?"

     Sunday morning, everyone shows signs of fatigue as public officials, news reporters and visitors arrive.  At 2 PM, the 24-hour field day is officially over and the final count shows 1155 different amateur radio stations in all 50 states and many foreign countries were contacted.  But most of all, we felt a sense of pride and accomplishment in working together in another simulated emergency communications exercise called field day.

September 28, 1990

** Broadcasts recordings preserved and presented here by Mr. Robert Buss and Mr. Bernie Ricciardi, Phil's friends and fellow Marconi Chapter 138 QCWA members **

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