View Full Version : Field Day . . . fizzle and folly
WA7KKP
07-08-2008, 03:15 PM
I listened in on FD this year and heard:
Fair amount of activity on 20 CW, and 20 SSB from about .150 to .250. Not much if anything above that.
A couple signals on 15 meters (yes it was open). Nothing on 10 or 6.
I'm glad I didn't try to knock myself out to set up a station; I remember FD as being a traffic jam in the past. The VHF contest a couple weekends earlier had more activity on 6 meters than what I heard on 20.
Gary WA7KKP
Oh, Gary, don't be such a wet blanket ! FD activity has been down the last couple of years, because of the Sunspot cycle, NOT because of lack of interest! Your idea of "open" and the idea that one would get of "open" during a Sunspot Cycle Peak are completely different ! Wall to wall QSOs on 15 and 10 when the F2 layer is really cookin' will change your mind completely when it finally starts to happen !
"Just you wait, 'Enery 'Iggins, just you wait ! "
KB3QLK
07-08-2008, 04:31 PM
I myself found 20 and 40 meter bumper to bumper and had a chance to try out 15 for the first time . While it wasn't thick with other stations there was plenty of traffic .I even worked some 10 meter. While conditions could have been much better I think it was still great! I found my first field day great and enjoyed it.
N8CPA
07-08-2008, 04:32 PM
I made contacts on 80 ~ 10. In fact, I made more Q's on 15 than I did 20.
I operated Class 1D. The start was terrible, though. 20 was dead, and 40 was pretty much attenuated by rain and lightning storms, close enough to keep my S-meter at mid-range through the rest of the daylight hours. By the time I quit Saturday night, I had only made 86 contacts so I didn't expect to make more than 150 or so over the FD period.
But when I woke up Sunday morning, the bands were much more lively and cooperative. I used 15 to make up for the noise of 40 and slackness of 20 the day and night before. I finished with 212, just about average for a 1D, when compared to the productivity of multi-transmitter sites according to a sampling of soapbox entries.
I listened in on FD this year and heard:
Fair amount of activity on 20 CW, and 20 SSB from about .150 to .250. Not much if anything above that.
A couple signals on 15 meters (yes it was open). Nothing on 10 or 6.
I'm glad I didn't try to knock myself out to set up a station; I remember FD as being a traffic jam in the past. The VHF contest a couple weekends earlier had more activity on 6 meters than what I heard on 20.
Gary WA7KKPThen either your receiver, your antenna system, or both are in need of trouble shooting, repair and maintenance.
I pulled much of the night shift at N3SH 4A. 20 SSB was packed from about 14.150 right on up for most of the evening until propagation failed. 40 was "wall to wall" with signals, as was 75. I heard similar comments from the CW side of the tent... who were having so much fun they never did let me near the key. And the only reason I don't know about 160 is that because of the weather, the intended 160 antenna never did get put up.
So if you didn't hear much of anything... something is not right with your station.
73
AC0FP
07-08-2008, 07:40 PM
Then either your receiver, your antenna system, or both are in need of trouble shooting, repair and maintenance.
I pulled much of the night shift at N3SH 4A. 20 SSB was packed from about 14.150 right on up for most of the evening until propagation failed. 40 was "wall to wall" with signals, as was 75. I heard similar comments from the CW side of the tent... who were having so much fun they never did let me near the key. And the only reason I don't know about 160 is that because of the weather, the intended 160 antenna never did get put up.
So if you didn't hear much of anything... something is not right with your station.
73
WA7KKP,
Heres a typical QRZ summation of your problem report. Your antenna and rig are crap!
The fact that your in 7 land and he is in 3 land has nothing to do with it, nor does the time of operation, nor local QRN conditions. I wonder what he meant by "20 SSB was packed from about 14.150 right on up for most of the evening until propagation failed.":rolleyes:
73,
Frank:)
A check shows your not in 7 land, but your not in 3 land either.
N8CPA
07-08-2008, 07:52 PM
WA7KKP,
Heres a typical QRZ summation of your problem report. Your antenna and rig are crap!
The fact that your in 7 land and he is in 3 land has nothing to do with it, nor does the time of operation, nor local QRN conditions. I wonder what he meant by "20 SSB was packed from about 14.150 right on up for most of the evening until propagation failed.":rolleyes:
73,
Frank:)
A check shows your not in 7 land, but your not in 3 land either.
Thing is, both my rig and my antenna ARE crap. But I still made 212 CW contacts, because the crap between my ears is too dense to know when to quit.
Yes, I would also suggest you check your antenna system. I averaged 33 contacts an hour for 17 hours making 567 cw contacts just doing search and pounce. 80 of them on 15m and 30 on 10m and one of my 40m contacts was to KH6EJ in Hawaii. Plenty of activity in IMHO.
Eric N3EF
W4INF
07-08-2008, 10:53 PM
Oh, Gary, don't be such a wet blanket ! FD activity has been down the last couple of years, because of the Sunspot cycle, NOT because of lack of interest!<snip>
Well, interest is in fact down because I think of the introduction of the Enternet to the general public, but... I think he wants to play the Poor Pitiful Pearl game more.
Andrew
Methinks the pathway betwixt your rig and antenna has become discontinuous. My 30 year old FD rig and low dipoles were buzzing with signals here in the black hole of the upper midwest.
KC2ESD
07-08-2008, 11:36 PM
My report for Field Day 18:00 to 02:00 UTC 20M was very active and 40M busy during the day and after sundown 40 was jammed packed. It seemed to me 40 was more active this year them last year. I was only able to operate to 02:00Hrs UTC before going home to sleep and going to work at 12:00 UTC Sunday. I heard on one 40M frequency 5 stations all calling "CQ Field Day" at the same time. Unbelievable. Can't wait to next year.
73 de Rick KC2ESD
WA5VQM
07-09-2008, 02:17 AM
I dunno, I was busy 80-15. I was occupied enough to never have made it onto SSB, running all CW which was unplanned. Low dipoles. 100W. 40 year old tube gear. I had fun.
73, Mark
Well, if FD is dead, W3AO didn't know about it. They broke the 10,000 QSO mark this past FD. Their highest QSO total ever, and a mark set at the bottom of the sunspot cycle. 3000 QSOs on 20 meters alone.
Its not conditions, and its not a lack of activity....
WA9SVD
07-09-2008, 05:05 AM
Well, if FD is dead, W3AO didn't know about it. They broke the 10,000 QSO mark this past FD. Their highest QSO total ever, and a mark set at the bottom of the sunspot cycle. 3000 QSOs on 20 meters alone.
Its not conditions, and its not a lack of activity....
Of course, they aren't exactly your average FD station, either.:rolleyes:
But if you didn't hear much activity on 80-10 Meters, there's an equipment (which includes feedline and antenna) problem, or somebody is expecting only "40 over" signals.
I am hoping all the codeless whiz amateurs put up their stone deaf antennas and the sunspot cycle holds off another few years. Maybe they'll get discouraged and quit.
KD6NIG
07-09-2008, 04:28 PM
My station was totally dead. Probably because I never turned the power switch on! Didn't hear anything on anything!
Hey, come on, someone has to support the other side of this! :p
Of course, they aren't exactly your average FD station, either.:rolleyes:
But if you didn't hear much activity on 80-10 Meters, there's an equipment (which includes feedline and antenna) problem, or somebody is expecting only "40 over" signals.
True, although W6YX on the left coast had 4800 QSOs with 4 transmitters!
< snip > I wonder what he meant by "20 SSB was packed from about 14.150 right on up for most of the evening until propagation failed.":rolleyes: < snip >
Propagation Failed: A colloquial and inexact expression for the ionospheric phenomenum caused when the Maximum Useable Frequency dropped below 14.150 MHz, resulting in 20 meter SSB signals passing through the ionosphere rather than being reflected by it, thus reducing communications to ground wave signals only.
What did you think I meant?
N8CPA
07-09-2008, 08:04 PM
Propagation Failed: A colloquial and inexact expression for the ionospheric phenomenum caused when the Maximum Useable Frequency dropped below 14.150 MHz, resulting in 20 meter SSB signals passing through the ionosphere rather than being reflected by it, thus reducing communications to ground wave signals only.
What did you think I meant?
But that's why God and Smart Sam invented... :p
W4INF
07-09-2008, 08:09 PM
I am hoping all the codeless whiz amateurs put up their stone deaf antennas and the sunspot cycle holds off another few years. Maybe they'll get discouraged and quit.
I normally dont agree with you Charlie, but this was on point. :cool:
Andrew
k0cmh
07-09-2008, 08:36 PM
Well, I also feel Field Day was a failure. I only had 2,463 contacts on 20 meters in 2 hous, running 1D on 15 watts into a dummy load.:D
What a dismal year.:rolleyes:
If that is all that can be expected from Field Day, they should just give it up.:eek:
Bridge for sale!
KI4POT
07-09-2008, 08:40 PM
I am hoping all the codeless whiz amateurs put up their stone deaf antennas and the sunspot cycle holds off another few years. Maybe they'll get discouraged and quit.
This codeless whiz made and put up a 122ft ladderline fed dipole, "tuned" it with a tuner kit he soldered together himself, and driven by a 5watt QRP rig powered by solar panels (and solar charged batteries) to make more contacts than he did last year.
I probably could have done better with more power. With the wall to wall signals on 40 and 20, I wasn't being heard very well over everyone else. I did much better Sunday morning on 15 and 10, doubling my contacts in a couple hours on those two bands alone.
So no, I'm not discouraged and I'm not quitting. :p
Chris
N8CPA
07-09-2008, 09:39 PM
This codeless whiz made and put up a 122ft ladderline fed dipole, "tuned" it with a tuner kit he soldered together himself, and driven by a 5watt QRP rig powered by solar panels (and solar charged batteries) to make more contacts than he did last year.
I probably could have done better with more power. With the wall to wall signals on 40 and 20, I wasn't being heard very well over everyone else. I did much better Sunday morning on 15 and 10, doubling my contacts in a couple hours on those two bands alone.
So no, I'm not discouraged and I'm not quitting. :p
Chris
That's the FD Spirit! Get it up, get it right, get it logged!
kf6rdn
07-09-2008, 10:24 PM
FD was a fizzle and a bust for me.
Nothing to do with radio/propergation etc..
Just that I couldnt get near a radio with some stuff going on..
Kinda bummed about it, but can't blame anyone else.
Well I suppose I could blame my son for getting into his school, but that'd be silly.
KC2PBJ
07-09-2008, 11:08 PM
Tried something new for me this year. Took my old novice-built recapped and barefoot Heath AT-1 and my Hammarlund HQ 180 and took off on 40 and 20 meter cw. into a homebrew doublet. With some recently acquired XTALs, I Had a total blast! Made a bunch of new contacts. Maybe I'll try true QRP next year with a "tuna can". Band conditions were fine for me but can't wait to experience some decent sunspots. Ready to run 10 meters on a coat hanger (if necessary).