Here are pix from our "Battleground" Field Day site on the property of
Ron Pitcock (KGØNN) at an elevation of about 2,500 metres (8,200 ft)
20 kilometres (12 miles) west of Golden, Colorado. CQC is grateful for
the use of Ron's property and we're sure it added a considerable amount
of gain to our signal strength!

We'll post more CQC Field Day pix, videos, and reports at they become available:
  (Note: CQC normally runs TWO separate Field Day sites - one in town that we call
  our "Aloha" site and another out in the sticks that's our "competitive" or Battleground site...)

Some antenna videos from our "Competitive" Battleground Field Day site:

All pix were taken by WBØJNR, CQC's webmaster.
Pix from the club's less competive "Aloha" site will be
posted when they become available...

1. Mike/KØMF & Ian/WØIMD	2. Paul, KF7MD	3. CQC President Frank Ivan, KØFEI	4. George, WØNFW	5. Paul, KF7MD
6. Mike, KØMF	7. Ian, WØIMD	8. Beam & Vee spreader	9. Top of the hill	10. Looking up
11. Battery farm	12. Inverter & VOM	13. Computer logging	14. Floppy solar	15. Beam
16. Relief	17. Feet & wires	18. Small solar	19. Another battery	20. VHF & GOTA tent
21.KØFEI mobile	22. Ops central	23. Floppy solar	24. Battery farm & VOM	25. KP200 keyer
26. VHF beam	27. VHF beam	28. VHF beam	29. Frankie & Frank	30. Begali paddle
31. 80m Vee spreader	32. Ops central	33. Battery & inverter	34. Trailer	35. Work table
36. Yaesu 857 (10 meters was open!)	37. Dualing beams	38. Beam	39. Looking up	40. Home away from home...

Below is how we announced it all that year! <

Click Here for a video and other info from our 2012 Field Day operation!

The objective is to work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands (excluding the 60, 30, 17, and 12-meter bands) and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2. DX stations residing in other regions may be contacted for credit, but are not eligible to submit entries. This is our main information page for Field Day. Most years we maintain two Field Day sites, one for those with competitive desires (our "Battleground" site) and another more casual location that we fondly refer to as the "Aloha" site... (Click Here for the ARRL's Field Day rules)

Click Here for our 2012 Field Day annoucement on KGNU radio!

Please contact Paul Beckett (KF7MD) at kf7md@aol.com if you're interested in helping out or paticipating at our "Battleground" Field Day site location six miles west of Golden.   Please contact Scott Garcia (KC0HSV) at slgarcia@qadas.com if you're interested in helping out or participating at our "Aloha" Field Day site location at Cherry Creek Reservoir State Park.

Click Here for the ARRL's info and rules for Field Day 2012...

Admiration from our competition!

From: Hank Greeb
Date: March 30, 2012 8:01:32 PM MDT
To: wb9nlz@xxx.com
Cc: k0fei@xxx.com
Subject: Suggestion for QQ

I enjoyed the article about "QRP Field Day Tips" in QQ Winter 2012.

However, if you want the "real skinny" on competitive QRP Field Day operation, I suggest to solicit an article from the Colorado QRP Club, WØCQC. WØCQC routinely wins the Class 2A (Battery) category, and has placed 1st overall upon several occasions regardless of the number of transmitters.

All other QRP operations are small potatoes compared with the WØCQC effort, and we could all learn from them. Why "celebrate" mediocrity at the expense of "the great masters?"

72/73 de n8xx Hg

Ham Radio "Field Day" Defined:

1994 - CQC's first Field Day!

ARRL Field Day is the largest on-the-air operating event in Amateur Radio. It draws tens of thousands to the airwaves at the end of June, each year, bringing new and experienced hams together for a weekend of fun! During Field Day 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!

WØCQC - Our "Battleground" Field Day site (Serious Stuff!) Co-Chairs: Paul Beckett, KF7MD (kf7md@aol.com) and Jay Schwisow, KT5E (jay@kt5e.us) Al Dawkins, KØFRP, Chairman Emeritus Paul and Jay are our Competitive site Co-Chairs and contesting Gurus! This year we'll again be at "Ron's Ranch," a few miles west of Golden (click Here for a map...) with a talk-in frequency of 145.145 PL 107.2

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

WHAT:
Our 2011 "Battleground" Field Day effort may take place just west of
Golden - but it is yet to be determined for sure...

WHEN:
Friday-Saturday-Sunday June 22, 23 & 24 - 2011.
Set-up begins Noon Friday June 25th. Field Day Event: Noon Saturday to Noon Sunday.
Tear-down Sunday afternoon.

WHERE:
Last year's (2011) "Battleground" site was located on the property of Ron Pitcock, KGØNN, at 7980 Spirit Ranch Road, Golden, Colorado. We're not yet sure if we'll be there, agagin, but Ron's QTH is about 7 miles from Highway 93 in Golden. From 93, turn west on Golden Gate Canyon Road and head up 3.9 miles for a right turn on Crawford Gulch Road. From there continue 5.0 miles for a right turn on to Spirit Ranch Road - the gate should be open - go to the top of the hill. ----> Click Here for the MapQuest link (Google maps doesn't seem to work too well for this address...)

FACILITIES:
Parking, car camping, and porta-toilet. Antennas, rig, and all other gear and
equipment will be independent of any permanent structures at the site. Please
bring your own food and other comforts if you're staying at the site.

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!

NØCQC - Our "Aloha" Field Day Site Cherry Creek State Park 4201 South Parker Road Aurora, CO 80014 Arapahoe Group Campsite 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/CherryCreek/Pages/CherryCreekHome.aspx

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 23, until Noon Sunday, June 24.

We'll begin set-up at the Aloha site after 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 24, when we have access to the group campground.

The other guys -- CQC's World Record-Setting Competitive Field Day Team -- may be out west of Golden this year, above 8,000 feet.

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: $24.00 per night for RVs (Full Hook-up); $18.00 per night for tents (Basic campsite). 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 25-26. Campers will reimburse the club based on the cost of single campsites: $24 per night for RVs (full hook-up) and $18 per night for tents (Basic campsite). No exceptions. PAY IN ADVANCE OR BRING YOUR CHECKBOOK WITH YOU TO FIELD DAY. You can send a check to the club - watch the website for info: Http://www.coloradoqrpclub.org">www.coloradoqrpclub.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 Cherry Creek is $9 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 - Previous years have been a ton of fun! We've always helped get a bunch of kids on the air but have other fun activities as well. 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:

Main Field Day information page 2011 2010 2009 High Plains Field Day 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)

Return to the CQC Photo Gallery Index
Return to our main Field Day page
Return to CQC Contest Information Page