June 29, 2018
T he C olumbia P ress
8
Hamming it up on amateur radio Field Day in Gearhart
B y d.B. l eWis
The Columbia Press
Cub Scouts, leashed dogs,
curious neighbors and pass-
ers-by, vendors and dozens
of amateur radio enthusiasts
shared a family fun annual
Field Day at Gearhart City
Park on Saturday.
Dana Gandy, president of
Sunset Empire Amateur Ra-
dio Club, wowed onlookers
by demonstrating how he’d
strung antenna wires be-
tween two tree tops without
his climbing boots. He used
a drone and a sport-fishing
electronic gizmo.
The gizmo has a wireless
switch often used by anglers
to control a fishing line hung
below a drone. The drone
takes the baited fishing line
out beyond the surf and the
wireless switch makes it let
go. Perfect placement.
“Why not use that for ham
radio?” Gandy said.
So he attached one end of a
thin weighted rope to his own
drone, flew it 30 feet up a tree
and dropped it. Bullseye.
Left: Frank Van Winkle communicates with AuxComm head-
quarters from a tiny tent at Gearhart City Park.
Above: Visitors decide what message they’ll send using a
telegraphic toilet.
Right: Emergency Management Coordinator Vince Aarts staffs
the county’s info booth.
Photos by D.B. Lewis/The Columbia Press
After repeating the process
on another tree, the two ropes
were used to raise a 132-foot
horizontal wire antenna high
overhead.
Several operating antennas
adorned the all-day event, but
Gandy’s may have been the
most effective as Eric Polson,
from Portland’s Ham Radio
Outlet, sought to contact as
many other hams around
the country as possible in the
shortest amount of time.
The feat was not unusual
for Field Day, but rather im-
pressive because Polson ran
his transceiver all day on just
a battery and solar panels.
Frank Van Winkle of Asto-
ria erected a tiny tent for him-
self, his gear and his antenna
on a tripod, all powered by a
portable generator.
With Clatsop County’s
emergency amateur radio
station, aka AuxComm, at
other end, Van Winkle traded
email with AuxComm leaders
Don and Terri Hilgaertner in
Camp Rilea.
All this without being con-
nected to anything more than
amateur radios at both ends.
Vince Aarts of the Clatsop
County Emergency Division
and his assistants gave away
disaster preparation book-
lets while advising the crowd
with practical questions.
Rita Rader, one of the
event organizers, and a
crew of women hams ran a
gift and information booth
while raffling off everything
from logo’ed shirts to hand-
held radios.
Unfortunately, one of the
raffled kites got mangled. Ru-
mor had it the dirty deed was
carried out by an overly en-
thusiastic dog. End of trans-
mission for the kite.
For the kids and families,
the biggest hit by far was -- get
ready for this -- a telegraphic
toilet.
Custom manufactured in
just over an hour by Gandy
and event organizer Ernie
Rader, it delighted kids (of all
ages) as they bounced up and
down on the seat while read-
ing a giant sign with Morse
code.
Piped through a loudspeak-
er, Morse code dits and dahs
sounded as the bouncing toi-
let seat sent out the ham ra-
dio Field Day fun message to
all.
For more information about
learning how to communi-
cate during a disaster, con-
tact Gandy at 971-601-0283.
This weekend
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus performs in Astoria
Portland Gay Men’s Cho-
rus will perform at 3 p.m.
Saturday, June 30, in the
auditorium at Astoria High
School.
The chorus will be singing
selections from their “Unit-
ed State of Broadway” Pride
concert, which should be
popular with those who like
show tunes.
The PGMC was estab-
lished in April 1980 with a
mission “to expand, rede-
fine and perfect the
choral art through
eclectic
perfor-
mances that honor
and uplift the gay
community
and
affirm the worth of
all people.”
Proceeds
will
benefit Astoria’s
Performing Arts
Center.
Tickets are $15
and can be purchased at the
door. Children younger than
12 are free.