2002 ARRL Field Day
06/24/2002 |
WC4DC
What a rush! This was my first Field Day and it was awesome! 20 meters was great at night and everyone was really friendly. It was great to talk to everybody - can't wait 'til next year!
The GOTA station was not a big success at our event like I thought it might be. We had a few inactive hams in the area who crawled out of the woodwork to operate the GOTA station. THEY had a fantastic time and all of them are planning to become active again. For them, the GOTA concept was ideal. It was the non-licensed people (kids) for whom this was frustrating, besides being frustrating for the control operator who had to hold their hand through the painfully slow exchange of information as well as explain to them why they couldn't just have a conversation with the other station.
I would suggest that if we wanted to give non-licensees a shot at getting on the air, that it be in a less hectic environment, one in which they can have a chance to say more and hear more than the callsign and station designator. Either have a "GOTA Day" or designate a GOTA frequency. Some made contacts and then seemed disappointed, as if to say, "That's it?" For us licensees, there is a big thrill in having exchanged such info with a DX station on 40 meters with 5 watts and a quickly strung up inverted vee antenna. But for unlicensed John and Jane Q. Public, it would be nice to at least have said "Hello from America."
That's my only complaint. Otherwise, Field Day was a blast! It was a big incentive to upgrade licenses as well to try out new modes that some people haven't used. Personally, I look forward to getting more active in CW, now that I know what it is SUPPOSED to sound like! -- KG4RBH
The GOTA station was not a big success at our event like I thought it might be. We had a few inactive hams in the area who crawled out of the woodwork to operate the GOTA station. THEY had a fantastic time and all of them are planning to become active again. For them, the GOTA concept was ideal. It was the non-licensed people (kids) for whom this was frustrating, besides being frustrating for the control operator who had to hold their hand through the painfully slow exchange of information as well as explain to them why they couldn't just have a conversation with the other station.
I would suggest that if we wanted to give non-licensees a shot at getting on the air, that it be in a less hectic environment, one in which they can have a chance to say more and hear more than the callsign and station designator. Either have a "GOTA Day" or designate a GOTA frequency. Some made contacts and then seemed disappointed, as if to say, "That's it?" For us licensees, there is a big thrill in having exchanged such info with a DX station on 40 meters with 5 watts and a quickly strung up inverted vee antenna. But for unlicensed John and Jane Q. Public, it would be nice to at least have said "Hello from America."
That's my only complaint. Otherwise, Field Day was a blast! It was a big incentive to upgrade licenses as well to try out new modes that some people haven't used. Personally, I look forward to getting more active in CW, now that I know what it is SUPPOSED to sound like! -- KG4RBH
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