CTRI Field Day 2017

CTRI Field Day:  Update #2

By John Lindholm, W1XX

 Field Day Site:  47 Peeptoad Rd., North Scituate, RI, the Seagrave  Observatory

Field Day Dates:  June 24 -25

CTRI Pre-FD meeting:  Sat. June 10… 10 AM, N. Kingstown Free Library, Wickford

    Since Update #1, Field Day plans have progressed nicely.  This Saturday’s CTRI meeting is very important to nail down any last minute details.  Your attendance and commitment is urgently encouraged.  Since our last update and still upcoming:

  1. K3IU will be copying the special W1AW Field Day message on Friday night.
  2. K1DM will captain our “alternate power” effort for bonus points with a solar panel.
  3. KW2G expects to have his potato gun launcher to augment W1XX’s bow-n-arrow for shooting lines for antennas on Friday afternoon prior to FD.
  4. KE1J has created an event for Field Day on Facebook – good for bonus points.  See  https://www.facebook.com/CTRI-301157730323702/
  5. We really need a participation headcount by the close of Saturday’s meeting primarily for food prep purposes. I can’t emphasize enough that this is an open invitation – member or not – to participate.  We need to know who will be at Field Day and when. Please try to make Saturday’s meeting to let us know of your intentions. Otherwise, e-mail John at w1xx [at] cox [dot] net.
  6. The “all hands on deck” time for Saturday Field Day setup is 9 AM at Seagrave.
  7. Important need: (1  The special 40/20 inverted-V wire Yagi is installed in the ‘back 40” – which requires brush clearing with gas powered weed wackers. We need 3 or 4 volunteers with equipment to do the job sometime next week – date TBD in coordination with Skyscrapers.  Bring bug spray with DEET.  (2)   We also need a couple of volunteers to assist KW2G/W1XX in launching lines for antennas to be installed the morning of Field Day.
  8. There will be plenty of assistance on Field Day to become familiar with the radio and logging program. One can also brush up ahead of time on the attached essentials of N1MM Logger+.
  9. All are reminded to bring a fin for our annual raffle for best guess on number of QSOs. Always fun…especially when you win!
  10. Final update post-Saturday’s meeting.  73!  — John, W1XX

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Logging Essentials using N1MM+

This listing pulls together a dozen (or so) keyboard commands that are extremely useful in N1MM+ Logger.

General
· Esc : stop, exit, abort, back out of whatever you are doing

Logging
· Spacebar or Tab : move between exchange elements
· Enter : log a completed valid QSO
· Ctrl+Alt+Enter : log an incomplete/invalid QSO with a note in the log
· Ctrl+N : add a note to the log
· Ctrl+O : to enter the operator’s name or call sign (or type OPON in call sign field)
[optional, use to keep track of who was operating when] · Alt+W : wipe whatever is entered so far (Alt+W again to undo the wipe)

Changing logged contacts
· Ctrl+D : delete last QSO from log
· Ctrl+Q : Quick Edit last QSO
o while in Quick Edit (blue background), use Ctrl+Q to go to earlier QSO in log, or
               Ctrl+A to go to later one
o Enter to accept changes, Esc to abort and return to logging

Changing current frequency & mode
· To change modes, type CW or SSB or RTTY or PSK into Entry window, hit Enter – or,
if your radio is interfaced for radio control, just change modes on the radio
· To change frequency, type the frequency in kHz into the Entry window, hit Enter – or, if
your radio is interfaced for radio control, change frequency on the radio

CW/SSB/Digital (needs CW keying interface/voice keyer/Digital interface respectively)
· Alt+U : switch between Run & S&P mode and messages
· F1 : send CQ message and switch to Run mode
· F4 : send your own call sign (S&P)
· ; key or Ins : send his call sign + exchange message (F5 + F2)
· key : send TU and log QSO (F3 + Enter)
· = key : re-send last function-key message
· Alt+K : edit current function-key message buttons
· Ctrl+K : ad lib keyboard CW/digital text (use Enter or Esc or Ctrl+K to end)
· PgUp/PgDn : CW speed up/down