The Wally Byam Amateur Radio Club station, WB8RC, is operating June 20 through July 2 from the Dana County Fairgrounds in Madison, Wisconsin. The station is operating 40m, 20m, and 2m. We are using two vhf radios with a small vertical for 2 meter comm and an Icom 706 for hf. We are for the first-time using a Buckmaster OCF dipole for hf work and have been delighted with the signal reports on both the 20m and 40m nets.
Club President, WK3G Elliot Steimle says this is the best operating station we’ve had in several years, perhaps second only to the station in Sioux Falls, SD. Of course, propagation and altitude may have had something to do with the performance of the Sioux Falls station. Propagation has been up a tiny bit this month but nothing comparable to “the old days”.
WBCCI, the Wally Byam Caravan Club, already has over 500 Airstreams on site for the 52nd Annual International Meeting and Rally, which starts June 28 with the traditional Opening Ceremony and Parade of Flags.
Station Manager, N2MJC Jim Zigrosser says we have a great station and it’s HOT. The past three days we’ve seen the daily high temperatures slide slightly down from 97 to 92 to 85, a good trend. The station is operating great, especially on 40m.
The station is checking into the 40 meter morning net (0700 and 0800 hours, eastern daylight time) and the two 20 meter nets (noon and 1700 hours eastern daylight time). If you’re in Madison come by the station. If you are not here we hope we’ll meet you down the log on one of the nets.
Jim n5rtg at WB8RC
revised 2000 hrs 6/25/2009
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