Field Day 2020 (at Home) Working as 1E (Emergency Power)

Field Day 2020 1E UT

In the past few years I have gone with the club (Dixie Amateur Radio Club) and been the primary CW operator. Before that, I would go to the field and setup my own station, usually as 1B and qrp, which is always a challenge. This year I had just gotten back from traveling, it was getting HOT down here in the desert, so I decided it was time to see how long and well I could run my home station on emergency power. I'm glad I did it, but in the future I think I will always be out in the field unless my health prevents it.

1st Activation Spencer, ID W7I/ER-088 (7340)

Summit proper

This was a chance to activate while visiting my folks in Rexburg, ID. I thought about some other summits closer to home, but they were still snowed in with the recent storms they've had. This one, never activated--which is always extra fun--was a 4-point summit about an hour drive north. My dad drove up with me, although he stayed by the pickup to walk about.

1st Activation of Scarecrow Peak W7U/WS-117

This was one of those peaks I've put off for a few years--it's way far out and only worth 1 point, but it has the allure that draws me in the most: it's never been activated before. I did a lot of map and image recon before going, although it never fails that a place looks different in real life. Normally I would wait until fall or winter for a desert mountain like this, but the day was supposed to be unusually cold for June.

Yellowstone Mesa W7A/NM-062

The top of the mesa

This is one of the first activations I do during Arizona's summer bonus season. It's a little ways out, but not far across the border into AZ from UT. Being a mesa, there's no vertical climb. I usually get out earlier in the morning before it gets too hot. Some years there's rattler's or flies--this year was clear of both.

Wolf Hole Mountain W7A/NM-035 Start of Summer Bonus in AZ

Approaching the summit

Wolf Hole is an interesting summit. Not too many go up that way. The summit is almost a mesa so once on top it's fairly flat. It's an 8-pointer in AZ with 3 points for summer bonus. There is a mountain road that gets close, although I would never actually take my pickup up it. It was supposed to be a nice day, and even hot later on.

Starvation Point W7A/NM-134 First Day of Summer Bonus in AZ

View from near the summit into the Gorge

I have always gone out on the first day of Arizona's summer bonus. I live in the far southwest corner of Utah, it is desert and near the Arizona Strip, a mostly unoccupied stretch of desert. This summit is a drive-up (by ATV) but it goes to nowhere, so very few go out to it. While I have seen rattlers out here, there were none this time.