Field Day provided CVARC with some good public exposure and an opportunity to practice emergency communication procedures. 

Jon Williams operated the 2-meter SSB station during Field Day.  At 15:38 local time on Saturday afternoon, Jon received a Priority Message from the VCARS Field Day site located at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.  The message requested CVARC to participate in a press conference to be held with a Star newspaper reporter the following Sunday morning on 2-meters. I accepted the offer on behalf of CVARC. VCARS also requested our assistance in passing a message to the Settlers since VCARS had been unsuccessful in contacting them. We responded by composing a written message, following Greg Lane's guidance on message handling procedures, which Alberta Munding hand delivered to the Settlers later Saturday evening.

Sunday morning at 0900, Peter Hines of VCARS established a 2-meter SSB radio net with the Settlers and ourselves.  Jon Williams was again at the controls of the 2-meter station for CVARC.  Peter asked us to standby while he briefed the Star reporter, Staci Haight, on proper use of the 2-meter radio.  Staci had prepared a set of well thought out questions regarding the purpose of Field Day and amateur radio's role in emergency communications.  Staci began her interview with Diane Belcher of the Settlers.  Diane provided some excellent answers to Staci's questions.  In fact, my comment to Jon was that Diane was going to be a hard act to follow.  We were next.  Staci asked us a series of questions concerning the number of operators we had at the CVARC site, where we were located, how many people had visited our site, and questions concerning the importance of amateur radio emergency communications to the community. 

VCARS also had arranged to include the Field Day site at Point Mugu in the radio conference, but was unable to reach Point Mugu on 2-meters Sunday morning.  Apparently the Point Mugu 2-meter SSB radio had broken.  Roy Deschene was sitting next to Jon and operating our CVARC 6-meter SSB station.  With Roy's help, a 6-meter link was established between VCARS, Point Mugu, and CVARC.  The 6-meter link allowed Staci to interview Stewart Stone at the Point Mugu site.

Staci wrote an excellent article covering the Amateur Radio Field Day activities in Ventura County.  The article, which was very supportive of amateur radio's role in emergency communications, appeared Monday June 25 on the front page of the Conejo Valley section of The Star.

The experience was a very good one.  I think that Staci really enjoyed conducting her interview over the 2 and 6-meter radios.  More important, Staci actually used our emergency communications facilities for her interview.  She also saw first hand the experience of our operators and the resilience of our systems when it was necessary to switch over to 6 meters to complete her interview with Point Mugu.

73s Ken KJ6RZ   

7:00 PM - 7:30 PM  VOICE 147.93-  pl 127.3 WB6WEY AREA 1
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM  VOICE 147.15+  pl 127.3 WB6ZTQ AREA 3
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM  VOICE 146.97-   pl 127.3 WB6YQN AREA 4
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM  VOICE 145.40-    no pl     N6FL        AREA 5
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM  VOICE 147.975- pl 127.3 N6AHI     AREA  6
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM  VOICE 146.985- pl 127.3 WB6ZTX AREA 7
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM  VOICE   145.28-   pl 100    WB2WIK AREA 8

Here is the VE report from Sunday's (July 1) session:
Candidate                 New License Class
John Baumwoll         General
Jason Baumwoll       General
Rory Eikland             Technician
Brian Reynolds         Extra
David Miller               General
Noel Van Slyke         Technician
Steven Lober            Extra
Craig Garlock           Technician
Nancy Haslam          Technician
James Bruton           Technician
Eric Lewis                 Technician
Corinne Miller           Technician
Madeline Osborne    Technician
David Rohde             Technician
Daniel Teske             Technician
Milas Smith, Sr.         Technician

We served 16 applicants and all of them passed at least one element.
Special thanks to VEs Rob Hanson, W6RH and Don munding, K6CAB.
Jeff Reinhardt AA6JR

Please join us at our regular monthly meeting Thursday, July 12, 2001, at 7:30 p.m. for a Special Presentation by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services ("OES").  Learn about the OES' role in such activities as the recent Alaska Airline crash off the local coast line.  The program will focus on the important parts Ham Radio and R.A.C.E.S. play when disasters hit Ventura County.  Come and learn what YOU may be called upon to do as a Ham to serve the public.

Congratulations to all the CVARC FD workers and helpers.  It was a great weekend of activities.  It was a bit on the rough side of making contacts on some of the bands.  The low bands were really crowed for QRP contacts, but in the end we got our fair share.  Here is the outcome by QSO's for each of the bands:

75 SSB: 52
40 CW: 74
40 Digi: 36
40 SSB: 83
20 CW: 227
20 Digi: 47
20 SSB: 105
15 CW: 16
15 Digi: 19
15 SSB: 113
10 SSB: 91
6M: 74
2M: 36
1.25M: 10

We broke records in operator participation, site layout minimum interference, and once again, more food than one could fit in one stomach.  Again, each year we learn from these types of operations of what to bring and what not to bring as well as how to improvise when it is forgotten.  I think this year the members who participated had the experience of enjoying contacts and sharing their knowledge with others.

My thanks to all those who supported CVARC Field Day 2001 and hope this is a stepping stone for your participation with other CVARC events.  We should all give a special thanks to Jeff (AA6JR) and Melissa (KD6BIT) for their travels in visiting all the participating clubs as ARRL representative (Jeff a Government Official as well).

Our thanks to the VCARS club for their ambitious efforts as N6R at the Ronald Regan Library site in bring about a special 2 meter and 6 meter contact with Simi Settlers, Pt Mugu and the news media's exposure to our once a year enjoyment of emergency communication demonstrations.

Brad (KG6CPY- & Family - John, Pam, Kelsey, Hailey), Karl (KE6WVZ), Roger (N6WNE), Eddie (WB6DFW), Bill (N6BED), Bob (WA6JLN), Mark (W6JOB), Ted (KB6WIP), Tom (KB2ENO), Rob (W6RH), Sue (N6OIZ), Allison (KF6MTG ) Chris Hanson (No Call), Kayla Millett (No Call), Donna Dawson (No Call), John Van Uden (No Call),

73 De K7SDW,  Greg, Field Day Chairman.

The following summarizes the "visitor's " log and CVARC operators and member participation; first name and call sign (or no call; if I have missed someone, my apologies):

Richard (WDSB), Charley (KG6CLT), Ed (KE6RCQ), Helen (KG6DUK), Paula (KG6FUM), Milinda (KF6QZG), Fred (KI6YN), Jose (N6VUY), Chuck (KD6AEJ), Pete (KN6NN), Alan (K6PSP), Ken (KJ6RZ), Peter (KE6HUI), Roy (KE6UMW), Jon (W6NML), Alberta (KA6WKR), Jeff (AA6JR), Melissa, KD6BIT, Szilard (KF6RYV), Terry (K7FE), Ted (KG6AJH),