ARRL NYC/Long Island Field Day 2000 Report

    George Tranos N2GA, ARRL Section Manager for NY City and Long Island,
again toured Field Day sites throughout his section this year. George was
joined by Section Emergency Coordinator and Assistant Section Manager Tom
Carrubba KA2D, District Emergency Coordinator for Nassau County George Gluck
WA2WKV, District Emergency Coordinator for Suffolk County Bill Schiebel
N2NFI, Assistant Section Manager for Suffolk County Len Battista W2FX,
Assistant Section Manager for New York City Rob Todaro N1XL, Assistant
Section Manager for APRS John Blowsky KB2SCS and Affiliated Club Coordinator
Phil Lewis N2MUN. Also joining George in touring NLI sites were Hudson
Division Director Frank Fallon N2FF, Hudson Division Vice Director J.P.
Kleinhaus W2XX and Past Director Richard Sandell WK6R.
    George's trip this year covered the boros of Brooklyn and Queens in New
York City, as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island and totaled
350 miles in visits over two days to fourteen different Field Day sites.
    The trip started at 10 am Saturday with a visit to the Eboniare Amateur
Radio Club at Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn. Don Taylor N2HIT, Ebonaire's
President welcomed the ARRL officials and introduced them to Dave Nichols
AA2HK, the Field Day Coordinator. Dave explained about Ebonaire's setup.
Dipoles were the primary antenna used to run their 7A operation using club
callsign K2EAR. Four troops of Boy Scouts were expected.
    The second stop was at the Kings County Radio Club, also located on the
other side of Floyd Bennett Field at the Ryan's visitor center. Club
President Tony Catalano WW2W explained about the KCRC setup, with dipoles, a
loop and a vertical antenna on the top of the building. PSK31 was being used
for the first time, along with CW and SSB. Anticipated attendance was 50
people. KCRC was running 4A using callsign W2RAK.
    The next stop was intended to be the Kings County Repeater Association,
but their Field Day site was moved from Fort Hamilton to Staten Island.
Because of lack of directions, additional distance and a tight schedule, a
visit to KCRA did not take place.
    The third stop was the Hall of Science Amateur Radio Club in Flushing
Meadow Park in Queens. Club President Lenny Menna W2LJM and Vice President
Steve Greenbaum WB2KDG showed off their impressive 3A site. One CW and two
SSB stations were using callsign WB2JSM and there was an additional VHF
station on 6 meters. Two Cushcraft verticals, an R5 and R7, were used as well
as a Mosely TA34 Yagi and a 4 element 6 meter Yagi. A demonstration of APRS
was shown and about 15 operators were on hand.
    The fourth stop was at the Nassau Amateur Radio Club in Eisenhower Park
in East Meadow, Long Island. Lance Aue WA2EJD, club President and Mike Kozma
WY2U, Vice President, showed the group around the site. Inverted  Vee Wire
beam antennas were used for all four HF stations. The club call K2VN was used
in the 4A operation. An additional VHF station was also set up as well as an
APRS demonstration.
    The fifth stop was the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club at the
Rosemary Kennedy BOCES Center in North Bellmore. LIMARC was running 3A using
club callsign W2VL. Four forty foot towers were set up, with three Yagi
antennas including a 20 meter monobander. In addition, wire inverted Vee
beams were strung between the towers for 40 and 80 meters. LIMARC had one CW
and two SSB stations, all using computer logging. Club President Ray Skrabut
WA2CNJ and Field Day Chairman Don Kane WB2BEZ were on hand to welcome the
group. About 100 people were expected and Nassau County Executive Tom Gulotta
was there to present the club with a Field Day Proclamation.
    The sixth stop was the Wantagh Amateur Radio Club with Field Day Chairman
Vic Panzica WA2JIW on hand to welcome the ARRL. Wantagh had a beautiful site
in Wantagh Park on the Great South Bay with a nice view of Jones Beach.
Wantagh was running 2A using callsign W2VA. There was a Yagi set up on an
guyed extension ladder and two folded dipole antennas. A station was set up
in the back of a truck as well as an operating tent. One station was using
computer logging.  VHF operation was conducted on 2 and 6 meters.
    The seventh stop was the Larkfield Amateur Radio Club at West Hills Park
in Huntington. Club president Stan Coffield N2NKI and Vice President Chuck
Hartley N2JIY showed off their impressive 3A operation at one of the highest
points on Long Island. There was a Yagi on a new guyed aluminum tower,
erected with a gin pole. The tower had no bolts at all, but used push in
cotter type pins to hold the sections together. A dedicated satellite
station, VHF/UHF station as well as CW and SSB stations operated club
callsign W2LRC out of tents. A group of boy scouts were on hand visiting from
the nearby campground.
    The eighth and last stop on Saturday was the American Red Cross Emergency
Communications Service at Eaton's Point Coast Guard Station. This was the
prettiest site in terms of sheer natural beauty, high on a hill overlooking
Long Island Sound. George Sau WB2ZTH, President, Lenny Smith N2LDV, Vice
President, and Stu Haimes N2AUK welcomed the group. Two yagi antennas,
including a huge TH6, were setup and worked well so high above salt water
with a clear view to the west. The 3A operation utilized SSB and CW. Each
station used computer logging. It was here that J.P. W2XX and George N2GA
operated a combine 100 CW QSO's on 20 meters before being treated to a nice
dinner of spare ribs and barbequed shrimp.
    The ninth stop and first on Sunday was at the Peconic Amateur Radio Club
at the Horton's Point Lighthouse in Southold on the North Fork of Long
Island. Another beautiful site, PARC operated 3A using the callsign W2AMC out
of a large military style tent. All QSO's were hand logged but then input
into a central computer for scoring. Roberta Keis N2RBU, club president, and
Field Day chairman Don Fisher N2QHV showed the group around the site. A Yagi
mounted on a large pole dominated the site. A trap dipole and sloper were
also utilized. Six meters was also utilized, with noted 6 meter guru Ken
Neubeck WB2AMU knocking out the contacts with his yagi antenna. SSTV, battery
power and solar were also utilized here.
    The tenth stop was at Radio Central Amateur Radio Club at the old RCA
site in Rocky Point. This site was the most isolated location as it is in the
middle of a large tract of land utilized mostly now by off road bicyclists.
Neil Heft KC2KY, Field Day chairman, showed us around. Neil said that RCARC
scaled down their Field Day slightly this year, running 2A using club
callsign W2RC and utilizing a tower only for VHF with a 2 meter and 6 meter
long boom Yagi mounted at about 50 feet. A Carolina windom, 40 meter loop and
R7 vertical were used on HF. Frank AA2DR and RCARC Vice President Frank Peppe
KB2WQU demonstrated a few 6 meter contacts utilizing Icom single band
transceivers and amplifiers.
    The eleventh stop was the Mid Island Amateur Radio Club in Southhaven
Park in Shirley. Mike Christopher W2IW, the club president, welcomed the
group. About 25 people attended their 3A operation using callsign NY2MI.
Antennas were dipoles, an R3 vertical and a 10 meter vertical.
    The twelfth stop was the combined Grumman Amateur Radio Club and Suffolk
County Radio Club site in La Grange in Sayville. Grumman club callsign WA2LQO
was used in their 4A operation. Three generators were humming, a club trailer
was used for publicity. A sign was erected by the Town of Islip at the site
for Field Day. Grumman President Pat Masterson KE2LJ and Suffolk County RC
President Bill Black KB2YAP were on hand to show off this nice site. A large
field held a Bazooka antenna for 40 meters, an 80 meter dipole, and a Yagi
for 10/15/20. There was an APRS demo and all stations had computer logging.
    The thirteenth site was the Islip ARES Group at Islip Town Hall in Islip.
Paul Beeman W2PB was Field Day Chairman. Len Battista W2RX was on hand to
explain their 2A operation using callsign W2PB. An old "tape measure"dipole
was used as well as a more conventional 40 meter dipole. They were running CW
and SSB, tried to make a satellite contact and had an APRS demo with digital
guru John Blowsky KB2SCS on hand. A real nice public information display was
set up with sign boards showing many aspects of amateur radio. Another sign
from the Town of Islip was erected here for Field Day 2000.
    The fourteenth and last site visited was the Great South Bay Amateur
Radio Club at the Babylon Town Hall in North Lindenhurst. Tom Odermatt K2ZDX
and Frank Spinazzola KC2EGK were the Field Day Chairmen and they welcomed us
to the site and described their 5A operation. Club callsign W2GSB was used.
This was the most publicly visible location, right on busy Sunrise Highway.
The club had to share the site with others on hand to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the start of the Korean War. A new 3 element 40 meter inverted
Vee wire beam was set up, as well as 2 yagis for HF, dipoles on 80 and 160,
and a vertical for 10/15/20. There was an APRS demonstration and some solar
cell powered 15 meter CW QSO's.
    Field Day appeared to be well attended this year. Everyone at the Field
Day sites were enthusiastic and appeared to be having a great time. It was
especially nice to see so many newly upgraded hams taking advantage of their
new HF privileges and experiencing Field Day for the first time. Remember to
send a properly formatted message describing your Field Day operation  to the
Section Manager through the National Traffic System for 100 bonus points.
    Thank you to all the clubs for their great hospitality and
congratulations again on another successful Field Day!

73, George
–
George Tranos N2GA
ARRL Section Manager NYC/LI
n2ga@arrl.org
631-286-7562