Whew, Saturday, Dayton, I'm still only in Dayton and it is raining. Not a downpour but steady, gloomy rain. I pull out my poncho and don it and proceed to walk the rows. The rain hits the poncho hood and the pic pac rain sounds brings back memories- most of them not too pleasant, rain in far off places in another century. I monitor the military hamfest "Push"of 51.0 Mcs and I can hear one or two casual remarks about the famous Dayton Military Nets that will be held today but overall the radio traffic is light.

   I am slightly discouraged, my guess is the rain will scare everybody off and we will only have three or four check ins. Where is everybody?       I guess they are all inside the arena looking at the Rice Boxes, I trudge down the rows, boots sloshing in the puddles in the low areas, occasionally I get under a Lean-to shelter in several spots that enterprising individuals have erected anticipating this rain.








      I go past Joe's space but don't see any activity but it is early and its Dayton, I really don't care about the rain, I am here doing what I want to do, my mission today--- to check into the now famous Dayton 3885 Military Net with my BC-611 and then the coup de grâce will be to check in on the "cold war net" with my PRC-6. I'll use the ole PRC-6 , a technician's radio, takes skill to get em working. Not like one of those solid state things. That will show em.
    Twelve o'clock is getting close, I recon down to Joe's spot and see activity, they are setting up in the rain, not to be critical but they look like a bunch of drowned rats, but the activity is picking up . . . I leave em alone, there is nothing I can do but go back to my spot and wait . . .
  

                                    Wait . . .Wait for the net to begin. I open the bottom cover of my BC-611 and check the "k4che" battery pack, everything is in order, closing the cover- I turn the radio on but only hear a slight hiss, the noise cause by rain hitting my poncho hood doesn't help and its hard to hear. I slide the poncho hood back slightly so I can put the radio to my ear and another hard shower starts, what a mess.
. . . But I stop and think about W.W.II radio operators operating the BC-611 set in the rain perhaps on a beach somewhere in the South Pacific during the monsoon trying to coordinate supplies or perhaps a fire mission, happy to have contact with the ship or with anyone . . .

I look at my watch wondering if the troops got a time hack, the second hand swings past and it is noon and 12 o'clock and now really raining. But nothing, I don't hear a thing. Maybe the net has been delayed due to weather, I go over to my space and double check with the RS-1 receiver to make sure the frequency is clear then .   .    .

.  .  .Then unmistakably I hear a carrier, weak at first and with a hint of generator whine, the purr of the hand cranked generator, not exactly steady but the carrier is on now and solid and obviously Joe and his crew are tuning up the BC-654. You can hear the rhythmic whine of the generator, no voice audio yet but I could imagine each crank handle coming to the top of the generator as the "volunteer" operator hits it with another stroke.

    Then Joe WA4VAG is calling the net, the rain picks up again slightly but I press my ear against the earpiece of the BC-611 tightly, I don't want to miss the instructions, we are to check in by call areas, simple enough.
          

  


  Joe WA4VAG

  We all check in, more check ins than I thought possible under the conditions. Military radio collectors are out there in the rain, answering to the call, many have traveled a considerable distance to get here. Many have toiled for endless hours preparing equipment that is at least half a century old for this event. I listen to each check in giving vital info, where they are from and what they are using, what an event, more operational W.W.II radios and particularly BC-611's gathered here in one spot today than any other place on this earth. I actually think I can hear rain hitting Joe's mike as he talks. The net goes on and we all agree to meet at Joe's spot for the annual photo by Mark Francis.

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     The BC-611 group photo by Mark Francis


The crowd then gathers, must be twenty or twenty five people, lots of BC-611 antennas sticking up in the air, all of us out in the rain, ponchos are the uniform of the day. Rain or no rain, nothing can stop this group from gathering. What an event, I will remember it for years. Thanks Joe, WA4VAG for starting this wonderful tradition at Dayton.