June 25, 26 & 27 2010 (Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday) This is our main information page for Field Day. Most years we maintain two Field Day sites, one for those with competitive desires and another more casual location that we fondly refer to as the "Aloha" site...

Click Here for pix from our 2009 Field Day operation!

Click Here for the ARRL's info and rules for Field Day 2009...

Ham Radio "Field Day" Defined:

1994 - CQC's first Field Day!

Each year, at the end of June, Amateur Radio "Ham" operators throughout North America put their technical and emergency communications skills to the test over the "Field Day" weekend. Hams use this annual radio exercise to test the ability of both themselves and their equipment - All to ensure they'll be ready to volunteer their communications assistance during times of disaster and other emergencies. The American Radio Relay League sponsors the annual Field Day event and invites all amateur radio operators to join the fun. Yes, fun(!) is the operative word here - Hams enjoy the Field Day experience on a number of levels that include camping, tinkering with portable equipment, installing temporary antenna "farms," adjusting solar panels or just enjoying the social interaction with friends, family and fellow Hams! The Colorado QRP Club hopes you'll join us during this year's Field Day event! If you can't be here, in Colorful Colorado, then we hope to work you on all the bands throughout the weekend-long contest!

CQC's "Competitive" Field Day site (Serious Stuff!) Al Dawkins, KØFRP (alk0frp@comcast.net) 720-427-9240 and Paul Beckett, KF7MD (kf7md@aol.com) Al and Paul are our Competitive site Co-Chairs and contesting Gurus!

WHO:
The Colorado QRP Club and most of this Hemisphere's active amateurs!!

WHAT:
Our 2009 "Competitive" Field Day effort will take place out on the
high plains southeast of Denver at the QTH of Jay Schwisow, KT5E.
(In the past we've attempted operations from Rampart Range but the
mortorcycle and off-road-vehicle noise and dirt has grown out of control...)

WHEN:
Friday-Saturday-Sunday June 26, 27 & 28 - 2009.
Set-up begins Noon Friday June 26th. Field Day Event: Noon Saturday to Noon Sunday.
Tear-down Sunday afternoon.

WHERE:
At the QTH of KT5E (Jay Schwisow): 47400 Becky Circle Elizabeth, Colorado 80107

QTH of KT5E

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FACILITIES:
Parking, car camping, and porta-toilet. Antennas, rig, and all other gear and
equipment will be independent of any permanent structures on the property.

STATIONS (This could change anytime before contest time!):
2A (2 HF stations)
primarly focused on 80-20m
Talk-in 147.225 Repeater, 146.445 Simplex.

CONTACT: Al Dawkins, our Field Day Chairman, can be reached at alk0frp@comcast.net for all kinds of additional information!

WHAT ELSE:
Bring your Fun!

CQC's 2009 "Aloha" Field Day Site Chatfield State Park 11500 N Roxborough Park Road Littleton CO 80125 Group Campsite - G Dick Schneider, ABØCD - ab0cd@arrl.net 303-601-8932 Scott Garcia, KCØHSV - slgarcia@qadas.com 303-680-4799 Here's the park's webpage for more info: http://parks.state.co.us/parks/chatfield/

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The CQC Aloha Field Day site is all about fun, ham radio, getting kids of all ages on the air, enjoying the park, family activities, and, occasionally, each other. Although it's no longer mandatory, we strongly encourage you to wear Hawaiian shirts while operating. We will be having fun on the air, and fun in the sun. Once again, we will be operating under the catchy callsign of ABØCD.

We'll be operating the Aloha Field Day site from Noon Saturday, June 27, until Noon Sunday, June 28.

We'll begin set-up at the Aloha site after 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 26, when we have access to the group campground.

The other guys -- CQC's World Record-Setting Competitive Field Day Team -- will be out on the high plains this year, at the QTH of KT5E (Jay Schwisow), 47400 Becky Circle Elizabeth, Colorado 80107.

We'd love to have you set up shop on the circle and spend the two nights with us. Daytrippers are more than welcome to stop by, mess around, operate for a while, and chew the fat -- or join us for dinner.

RV/TENT PADS - There are 6 RV/TENT pads with four electrical pedestals at each group site. Each site accommodates up to 36 people. Showers and restrooms are located in the group area. No amplified sound systems, including amplified musical instruments are allowed in the group camping area (so air guitar only with headphones for you wannabe rock stars).

There are no sewer hookups. The dump station is nearby.

We will not permit sleeping sites to be set up WITHIN THE FALL LINE OF A MAST OR ANTENNA.

FEE: $22.00 per night for RVs; $18.00 per night for TENTs. This will help defray the campground fees, which the club is paying up front. Donations will be requested from Daytrippers.

RESERVATIONS - Email Dick Schneider ABØCD at ab0cd@arrl.net if you know you are coming and want to guarantee space.

CAR PARKING - There should be adequate parking for campers and daytrippers,

CAMPING FEES -- The club has prepaid for 2 nights - Friday/Saturday, June 26-27. Campers will reimburse the club based on the cost of single campsites: $22 per night for RVs and $18 per night for tents. No exceptions. PAY IN ADVANCE OR BRING YOUR CHECKBOOK WITH YOU TO FIELD DAY. You can send a check to the club. We'll see if we can use PayPal - watch the website for info: www.cqc.org.

PARK ENTRANCE FEES -- The camping fees do not include park entrance fees. Participants are on their own in that department. The daily fee at Chatfield is $7 per vehicle.

STATIONS - We'll be running at least 2-A BATTERY with 1 VHF station. Equipment and batteries are The Solar-Charged Battery is handled.

ANTENNAE - SUBJECT TO CHANGE - GAP Multi-band vertical, Mosley 2-element beam, possibly a multi-band doublet. We plan to have a VHF/UHF tri-band Yagi.

DIGITAL/SATELLITE - If anyone wants to set up a digital station, organize your gear, let us know, and bring it out. We'll give you one of the operating positions. If someone is set up to work a satellite, please bring your gear for a few orbital QSOs.

PARTICIPATION - Last year (2008) was a lot of fun. A bunch of kids got on the air. We encourage you to plan a family weekend around Field Day. You don't have to sit in front of a white hot QRP rig during your entire stay. Take the kids out on the lake, down to the swim beach, out for a hike, or fishing. The park has an RC Airplane facility, horseback riding stables, full service marina, boats to rent, great bicycle riding, hiking - gobs of stuff.

NON-CLUB MEMBERS - We will be marketing the event to non Colorado QRP Club amateurs, so get your reservations in early.

VOLUNTEERS - We need as many as we can get for set-up and tear-down, but if it's a toss-up between Aloha and the Rampart site - please pick Aloha! Just kidding. We can always make do, but we need as many hands as we can get with 1) setting up stations 2) setting up antennae 3) organizing logging materials 4) tearing down stations 5) tearing down antennae 6) policing the campsite.

TIME ISSUES - We get access to the group campsite at 1 p.m. on Friday and must be out by noon on Sunday. Last year, we actually pulled out later than noon with no problems from the rangers. It's very unlikely that the group site will be reserved for Sunday.

PARK RULES - Follow them. You know the drills here. 3.2 beer only. No gathering firewood (but bring some for the fire ring), proper pet care (can't hook them to a tree), you know, all the state park stuff. There are charcoal grills near the shelter. You can bring your own grills as well. Quiet time (headphones and CW) 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

WHY ALOHA? Well, in the Hawaiian language Aloha means affection, love, peace, compassion, mercy, goodbye, and hello, among other sentiments of a similar nature. The Aloha Field Day site is designed to encourage any and all comers to participate in Field Day. There is no competitive pressure to run 70 CW QSOs per hour. You operate at YOUR speed, and there will be plenty of hams available to help out. Even non-hams will be able to get on the radio. There is only one requirement: operators must wear a Hawaiian shirt! We'll have some available in case you forget yours. And, as in the case of all rules, this one can be waived.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FOR FIELD DAY?? Bring your Fun!!!

Support your local ARRL-affiliated Amateur Radio club!

CQC Field Day Archives, Links and Results:

2008 Year of the Noise! 2007 Year of Aluminum Loss... 2006 2005 2004 Year of the rain! 2003 Stats 2002 The year of fire! 2001 3rd overall in the nation! 2000 Great band conditions 1999 The KØNA group gives us their Rampart Range location 1998 Lots of pix 1997 Antenna Layout 1994 Doug (WØAH, CQC #039), Amber, and Roger (KBØJFH, CQC #047)

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