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 Previous: Youth@HamRadio.Fun: Hamvention, Youth Leadership, Scouting and Ham Radio and More |  Next: Surfin': Telling the Pacific Radio Story |
By David Sumner, K1ZZ
June 1, 2007
Field Day 2007 should be one for the record books! Sunspots may not be cooperating, but every other indicator points toward an outstanding, memorable event. If you have never participated in an ARRL Field Day -- or if it's been a few years since your last outing -- make this the year you join the fun.
For all of us, Field Day is an opportunity to pack a lot of Amateur Radio into one weekend -- an opportunity that has become more valuable as our world has gotten busier and operating from home has become more difficult, either for lack or time or because of antenna limitations. FD gives us a chance literally to "head for the hills," preferably as part of a group; it's more fun to share the experience with others, and more rewarding to learn antenna and operating lore from one another. The operating format is to make quick contacts, exchanging your number of transmitters, operating category and ARRL section with other stations. Each station can be contacted once per band (except 60, 30, 17 and 12 meters, which are off limits) and mode (CW, phone, and digital). CW and digital contacts are worth twice as many points as phone, so there is an incentive to be able to do more than just talk (not that good phone operating is easy -- picture an Air Traffic Controller at Atlanta Airport!).
While the FD focus is on setting up temporary portable stations operating on emergency power, stay-at-homes and mobiles also can participate. Since 2003 there has been a special category for stations operating from established Emergency Operations Centers. The goal is to show that we can communicate with one another, no matter what, without the need for any infrastructure. This is a capability that we tend to take for granted, but that is increasingly rare -- and increasingly valuable -- as the world becomes ever more dependent on complex telecommunications systems to cope with daily life. Cell phones are ubiquitous these days, and it's natural to rely on them -- but what do we do when they don't work? Most people have no answer to that question. As radio amateurs, we do -- but only if we keep our batteries charged, our equipment ready, and our operating skills honed.
This year's theme for Field Day is "Bitten by the Bug!" It's all too common to be bitten by all manner of insects at an FD site, but the "bug" we have in mind is simply enthusiasm. For many amateurs, this year's event will be the first where they can be the control operator of an HF station. Newly minted General and Extra licensees will be on all bands, and Technicians will be able to operate on 10-meter SSB and RTTY.
By the way, if you think that the lack of sunspots means there's no point setting up for 10 meters this year, think again. June is prime time for sporadic-E, and it's a rare FD that doesn't reward preparation and patience with a spate of 1000-mile contacts. You may be surprised, too, at how reliably 10 meters works for "local" QSOs out to 200 miles or so, especially if you're in a quiet location that's in the clear.
Are you getting bitten by the bug? A good next step is to read the rules -- even if you're a loyal FD regular, since there are some changes this year. A summary appeared in last month's QST on page 98. The complete, official rules are at www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2007/fd.html. Don't know what ARRL section you're in? If you know your county, just go to www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/secinfo.html. There is a link from that page to a list of standard abbreviations.
The biggest change in the rules is that it will be easier this year to earn Get-On-The-Air (GOTA) bonus points. The purpose of the GOTA station is to encourage Novices, Technicians and prospective hams under the direct supervision of a properly licensed control operator, as well as inactive hams, to get acquainted or reacquainted with HF operating. Up to 500 QSOs can be counted from this station, plus 20 bonus points for each 20 contacts made by an eligible operator (up to a maximum of 100 per operator). The bonus points double if your group provides a full-time "GOTA Coach"; see the official rules for details.
Field Day is not about taking risks. A need for improvisation is likely to crop up at the most carefully planned event, but safety always comes first -- especially when erecting antennas and operating generators. Always be mindful of the safety not only of your participants, but of any visitors to your site as well.
Have fun on Field Day, and may the only bugs you encounter be friendly ones!
| Previous: Youth@HamRadio.Fun: Hamvention, Youth Leadership, Scouting and Ham Radio and More | Next: Surfin': Telling the Pacific Radio Story |
