Camp Kerchunk 2024
Camp Kerchunk 2024 at Luna Lake Campground was a lively and memorable gathering of SWCRS radio enthusiasts and their families. Everyone settled in quickly, setting the stage for a weekend of fun and camaraderie.
Attended by around 50 people, the weather was mostly clear, just the smallest of drizzles on July 3rd, followed by mostly clear skies. Temperatures were in the low 80’s, with chilly mornings in the low 40’s. This made the afternoons perfect for lounging back and enjoying the scenery and hanging out with friends.
July 3 (Wednesday)
The early bird “Screaming Eagles” arrived for a head start on the events, moving quickly to set up camp in loop A. Skies are amazingly dark in Alpine, and the lack of moon meant that the milky-way was readily visible – a welcome treat for most of us city dwellers.
July 4 (Thursday)
Independence Day parades in Eagar and Springerville entertained some, while others hung back at camp. David WQVS960 and his two boys along with Scott WRXD591 worked to make some necessary repairs to the Nutrioso 550 site that had suffered a nearby lightning strike days earlier. The repeater was brought back online, as it would serve as a useful means of communications for the campout. See Nutrioso 550 Repaired.
Folks with the SWCRS hung out around the Ramada in the evening, sharing snacks, drinks, and watching “Independence Day” on the camp projector.
July 5 (Friday)
With the rest of the attendees showing up, Friday brought the perfect opportunity for many to get together, talk stories, and reconnect around the campfire. The Meet and Great ran from 5PM to 10PM, and was enjoyed by many.
David and Russ also met with Chris KAD8028 and Matt WRMD291 over lunch in Show Low to discuss long-term goals of the systems, and how inter-connectivity with the WMWA and Northern Arizona Linked System might be implemented in a way that’s robust in case of emergencies. Plans are underway!
July 6 (Saturday)
Alpine hold their 4th of July festivities on the 6th – any reason to celebrate the 4th twice in a week is alright in our book! The local parade and festivities kicked off at 10AM along main street. In the evening, fireworks were set off nearby; Alpine Fire Department put together a show that lasted just over an hour.
A few folks from the group ascended South Mountain to view the fireworks from above, while others attended and watched from below.
July 7 (Sunday)
A handful of folks from the group went up to South Mountain near Alpine to make some upgrades to the repeater site; this included re-arranging equipment on the interior to fit into new equipment racks, and replacing the Tram unity gain antenna previously in-place to a more appropriate DB420 high gain folded dipole array. The work took all morning and early afternoon, and is expected to make a substantial improvement to repeater coverage in the area. For more information, see Alpine 725 Upgrade
With the upgrades complete, the group reconvened at camp to enjoy sunset and prepare for the potluck. The Sunday Net was also run from camp from a fireside table, with multiple net controllers stepping up take a stab at running it.
July 8 (Monday)
With the event coming to a close, Monday was time to pack up and bid farewell until next year. Thanks to everyone who came out and made this year’s Camp Kerchunk a success. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!