Front Yard Portable for Field Day 2020

It is an understatement to say Covid-19 has thrown a monkey wrench into the gear works for 2020 (and probably the next few years), but the stay at home orders have enabled many of us to get to projects we otherwise may have never done.

One of those projects for me was to use what I have and get on the air QRP for Field Day.  It has been something I've wanted to do ever since getting my license.

In Florida however, I had to many irons in the fire with the both local ham clubs and always worked Field Day with a club -- or two.


After trying different wire antennas, and trying to keep them hidden due to antenna restrictions I decided to give the Hy-Gain AV-18VS a go.

I only ordered it 2 weeks before Field Day.  It arrived about mid-week before Field Day.  Just enough time to get it ready.

I also located a Mosley RV-4C on Craigslist.  I checked it out.  The price was right.  I brought it home, cleaned it, replaced some of the CAD plated steel hardware with stainless steel, mounted it on a speaker stand and tested it.

Out of curiosity I wanted to see what the bands looked like without a counterpoise.  Bad.  Nothing under 2.5:1 VSWR except for a small part of 20 meters fell to about 2:1.  I did not expect it to do anything without radials; it's a vertical.

Four cut to band length radials were included with the antenna. I fastened them to the base and strung them out in the yard and over the wood railing of our deck and ramp.

All 4 bands less than 1.5:1 except 40 Meters.  The band ends increased to between 1.7:1 and 2.0:1 VSWR.  Still very useable, and nothing to adjust.

I decided to verify the bands and brought out my HP 4815A.  This showed resonance across most of the bandwidth of the bands.  I'll be doing some more analysis of this antenna and the AV-18VS once the weather cools.

What I like about Mosley antennas is their great quality and easy assembly.  I've used commercial Mosley antennas in the past, and the amateur radio antennas are just as high of quality.  The RV-4C is the only vertical that went together and on the air without tinkering with section lengths, trap adjustments, add radials, etc.  They work out of the box.

I set up in the yard until I had to move to the deck to get some shade.

Simple and quick set up. I used my IC-70kMKIIG on low power.

I operated QRP so what I got from the Icom is what I used.  Next highest power setting was 7 Watts.

Tower of Power.  A Mosley RV-4C on a speaker stand.  Orange flags are on the counterpoise wires.  Counter poise wires are suspended by attaching the ends to fiberglass driveway markers.

The tidiness did not last long.  By Saturday night I started collecting other things, and by Sunday morning this is what things looked like as soon after sunrise that I had enough light to take the image.

Overall this year's Field Day was quite a bit of fun. I did not make hundreds of contacts or thousands of points, but I did have fun.  To me and many of the hams I know that is what Field Day is about: Fun.  We all like to make as many contacts as possible and earn as many points as possible, but no need to make the week end a burden.

The AV-18VS was installed at the end of the yard behind the deck.  It would be to the top right of the RV-4C in the image of that antenna. I kept it retracted during the day and extended the sections only at night when I wanted to use 80 meters.

For power I used old handicap scooter 12 V, 18 AH batteries. I had 2 wired in parallel and they carried the entire week end.

I've had good results saving the batteries when they get changed out of my XYL's scooter and chair.  I worked several hurricanes in FL using only one 12V 12 AH battery and my HT.  I also worked several hurricanes with my jump kit on one 12V 18 AH batteries same as the two I used in the above image.  Usually a hurricane passes in about a day although one lasted about 3.  I had a generator, but batteries are much quieter.