A self-contained, deployable field station — built by the club, funded by the community, tested at Field Day.
In 2020, the club purchased a 2006 Haulmark cargo trailer to replace our aging 2000 Ford communications van. It's now our platform for public service events and disaster response — radios, antennas, and power ready to set up the moment we arrive on site.
In April 2021, the Fayette County Community Foundation awarded the club a $6,000 grant to outfit the trailer. That funding covered interior building materials, radios, lighting and electrical, paint and lettering, and tires and brakes.
For ARRL Field Day 2021, the trailer made its first real test at Lakeview Campground, Volga Lake Recreation Area — and it held up. For the most part, the deployment was a success.
See more from the build and every event since on the Rural Iowa ARC picture gallery.
