Grantham Amateur Radio Club recently held its first field day of the year — and the weather could not have been better for portable operating. With warm sunshine, clear skies, and dry conditions throughout the day, it proved to be an excellent opportunity to get outdoors, experiment with equipment, and enjoy some relaxed radio operating.
The primary aim of the field day was to test equipment and operating arrangements ahead of the club’s first major public event later this summer. Portable events always present their own challenges, so the day provided a valuable chance to assess antennas, power arrangements, station layouts, and overall practicality in a real-world environment.
Equipment & Antennas
Club members experimented with a variety of portable equipment and antenna configurations throughout the day.
Lance kindly brought along his new Yaesu FTX-1, while Steve supplied the ever-popular Icom IC-9700. Several antenna systems were deployed and compared, including:
- End-fed long wire
- Hustler 6BTV vertical
- VHF/UHF colinear “white stick”
Despite the event mainly being a test and preparation exercise, the stations performed extremely well. Contacts were successfully made across the UK, throughout continental Europe, and as far away as the Canary Islands on 40m, 20m, 10m, and 6m bands.
The day also gave members an opportunity to compare antenna performance, operating techniques, and portable setup ideas ahead of future club activities.
A Good Turnout from Members
It was excellent to see a strong turnout from club members during the day, including:
- Mark – G5MDC
- Steve – G3EFG
- Lance – G7NRU
- Graham – M0HLO
- Noel – M7ANY
- Brian – G7SJX
The club was also pleased to welcome Andrew Riley, who has recently passed his Foundation Licence examination and is now eagerly awaiting the arrival of his first amateur radio callsign.
Field days are always about more than simply making contacts. They are an opportunity to learn, experiment, share knowledge, and enjoy the social side of amateur radio — and this event certainly achieved all of those aims.
Looking Ahead
Following the success of the day, Grantham Amateur Radio Club is now preparing for its next public event at the Lincolnshire Fire Aid Festival in Great Gonerby on the 18th and 19th of July.
The event will provide another opportunity to demonstrate amateur radio to the public, operate portable stations, and showcase the hobby to potential new operators.
Finally, the club would like to extend a huge thank you to Lance for very kindly allowing the use of his field for the event. Support like this is greatly appreciated and helps make these activities possible.
If you are interested in amateur radio, portable operating, digital modes, antennas, or simply want to learn more about the hobby, new members and visitors are always welcome at Grantham Amateur Radio Club.