[AARA] Louisiana Cane Field Contest Club Field Day

[Herman Campbell]

*When the going gets rough hams get on the air*
First Apostolic Church of New Iberia

Reprinted from: TecheToday.com 
<http://www.techetoday.com/view/full_story/14543171/article-When-the-going-gets-rough-hams-get-on-the-air?#ixzz1RXwRJMqb>  
July 1, 2011

New Iberia -- A small group of "radio hams" from St. Martinville and the 
surrounding Acadiana area joined in a national deployment demonstration 
of emergency communications June 26 and 27.


This area's "hams" competed against thousands of amateur radio operators 
throughout the North American continent by use of their radio emergency 
capabilities.

Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio 
operators providing critical communications during unexpected 
emergencies in towns across America including the California wildfires, 
winter storms, tornadoes and other events worldwide. During Hurricane 
Katrina, amateur radio -- often called "ham radio" - was often the only 
way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer "hams" worked at 
their ham sets to save lives and property.


When trouble is brewing, amateur radio's people are often the first to 
provide rescuers with critical information and communications.

During the emergency communications demonstration, the local ham radio 
club called the Louisiana Cane Field Contest Club participated in the 
yearly contest that covers the whole North American continent. The group 
participated in the contest in the 2A class which is the class that is 
limited to the use of two amateur radio stations that work on emergency 
power for 24 hours without stop.


The 2A class is the largest and most competitive of the seven contest 
classes and subclasses. Approximately 35,000 ham operators participated 
in the event. This annual event, called "Field Day" is the climax of the 
week long "Amateur Radio Week" sponsored by the ARRL, the national 
association for amateur radio. Using only emergency power, these ham 
operators setup two emergency stations in a local ham's backyard next to 
a cane field and operated on generator power using Morse code. Under the 
rules, a third station is allowed if manned by recently licensed hams or 
hams who have been inactive.

This year the "GOTA" station, (Get On The Air station) was manned by 
members of a church group from the First Apostolic Church of New Iberia. 
Most of those members were under the age of 18 and they communicated by 
voice instead of Morse code. They made a very respectable showing by 
contacting 312 stations.


Last year the Louisiana Cane Field Contest Club had an impressive 
ranking by placing 10th in class 2A.

Although the calculations of the final results are still pending, the 
club appears to have made a total of 2,400 contacts which results are 
better than last year.

The club's president, Bert Beyt, and Field Day chairman, Louis Corne, 
greeted St. Martinville Mayor Thomas Nelson and St. Martin Parish 
Sheriff Ronny Theriot at the beginning of the event and gave them a tour 
of the site before the contest started. Members of the club who 
participated included Bert Beyt, Dr. Paul Azar Jr., Dr. Pat Sonnier, Roy 
Bonvillian, Art Suberbielle, Art Mouton, Louis Corne, Charles Morrison, 
Ed Sexton and Reverend Michael Pitre.

The young hams participating included Matthew Roy (KD5WUQ), Remington 
Martin (KF5KSG), Angela Latigue (KF5FYM), Adrienne Latigue (KF5FYL), 
Carmichael Linzer (KF5FYN), Carriane Linzer (KF5FYK), Kristen Orson 
(KE5SUH), Allison Roy (KF5FYO), Lauren Roy (KF5RPH).

http://www.techetoday.com/view/full_story/14543171/article-When-the-going-gets-rough-hams-get-on-the-air?
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