Field Day 2018

CBs / FRS / GMRS / MARS, radios, stereos, computers, tools, etc. The stuff you use to support wheeling or use of your PW.
Post Reply
User avatar
Mule
500_Posts
500_Posts
Posts: 546
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2014 2:29 am
Location: Rocky Mtns
Contact:

Field Day 2018

Post by Mule » Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:36 am

warning: this thread will get nerdy. :excited:

Headed out saturday morning
Image

Get the last few things set up and running before start at 1200.
Image

3 HF rigs in the trailer, another in the van, GOTA station on the other side of the campers. 4A this year.
Image

Racked up a shitload of contacts on 20m saturday.
Image

WX was nice ... mid-70s during the day, comfortable (for me) evening/overnight.
Image

Jumped on 6 for an hour or two since the radio was free sunday. Spinning the dial, blew by 50.155... "Hey, 155, that's my number..." parked there and owned the freq, got a bunch of contacts in wisconsin and canada, couple more from cali/az off the back of the beam.
Image

About 1100, "Hey, we're gonna shut down, lightning's getting a little close." Storm to the south.
Image

Got everything torn down/secured, packed and ready to roll out in a little over an hour. Pileup on the road as we were leaving the site, then over the radio I hear "We've got a big problem down here".
Image

Grab my phone and portable... ground clearance problem, maybe?
Image

Trailer hitch problem. Hitch was hanging from the frame, twisted with several bolts sheared off. Ford's not hauling anything anywhere except what's in the bed.
Image

"Power Wagon should be able to haul it... 2-5/16 ball with a 7-pin and brake controller, yeah I got that."
Didn't really have many other options at this point, had a bunch of half-tons but none of them were set up for towing, and this trailer's a bit much for a half-ton pickup anyways (tongue and gross weight). Getting things moving is one thing, getting everything stopped is a different story. :shock:
Squatted the ass-end quite a bit more than I'd like, wouldn't want any more on the hook but it did okay up and over the passes. Definitely glad to have deep gears and good brakes coming down the hills.
Image

Image

Kept an eye on the hitch the whole way home... nice to have a team in front of and behind me, all with good radios...
Image

The tongue jack got kinda fucked up when the trailer was stolen last year, then fucked up even more when it was drug through the dirt after the ford's hitch failed. One side of the foot was folded up such that the foot couldn't be removed, which left me with about 5" of clearance between pavement and the jack foot for the haul home (Surprisingly only scraped it twice). When we got back to storage, pulled the bolts that hold the jack to the frame, but without being able to remove the foot teh jack couldn't be fully removed from the frame. Shoved a block of wood under there for some additional clearance for the steep driveway entrance.
Once the truck/trailer was in position... High-lift jack to get the trailer off the ball, and some lumber under the frame to serve as the tongue jack till the real one gets fixed. "Sketchy as fuck" barely begins to describe the situation. :lol:
Image

But the trailer's "home" and in one piece. PW still managed to get 10.8mpg with the trailer on the hook.
Image

Total Contacts by Band and Mode:

Code: Select all

Band CW Phone Dig Total %
---- -- ----- --- ----- ---
80   0  26    0   26    4
40   0  88    0   88    12
20   0  428   0   428   59
15   0  118   0   118   16
10   0  22    3   25    3
6    0  38    7   45    6
3    0  1     0   1     0
     -- ----- --- ----- ---
     0  721   10  731   100
Total Contacts by Initials:

Code: Select all

Initials Total %
-------- ----- ---
AAA      306   42
BBB      90    12
(Mule)   74    10
DDD      73    10
EEE      43    6
aaaand now I won't spin another dial till next year. :lol:
Image

User avatar
olyelr
2000_Posts
2000_Posts
Posts: 3658
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2014 9:00 pm
Model Year: 2016
Location: Kewadin, MI

Re: Field Day 2018

Post by olyelr » Tue Jun 26, 2018 3:18 pm

Jeezuz, even with pic's it goes right up over my head and keeps going.... looks confusing as hell!
2016 Ram Power Wagon Laramie - Granite Crystal Metallic - Ramboxes - 35” AT3W - TazerRAM

:patriot:

User avatar
Pit Slave
Vendor
Vendor
Posts: 1486
Joined: Thu May 17, 2012 11:12 am
Location: Sandy, Utah.. Moab, Jersey, Space Station, Baja.....

Re: Field Day 2018

Post by Pit Slave » Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:50 pm

Where you able to get a hold of my friend, W2NQ? There's no mistaking him! John's a good guy, old school to the heart.
Nothing's more dead than a horse in a glue bottle.Image

There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation.
One is by the sword. The other is by debt.
John Adams - 1826


I guess you could say I'm a bit off center.....:D

LagunaH1
250_Posts
250_Posts
Posts: 267
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 10:41 am

Re: Field Day 2018

Post by LagunaH1 » Sat Jul 21, 2018 10:04 pm

Nice!!

Field day can be fun :)
2016 RAM 2500 Power Wagon SLT
NR6E

Post Reply