What FD Rule(s) would You Change?

[N2EY]

Back in the 1930s, it was probably a Big Friggin Deal to operate portable. Radios weighed a hundred pounds and used very high voltages. Generators, if average folks even had them, likewise were big peices of equipment and not very efficient.

Today, it's trivial. Radios have handles and weigh a few pounds. Everything operates on 12 volts DC. Anyone with a couple hundred dollars could go out and buy a cute little KW generator that their grandma could carry.

So from a "portable equipment" point of view, Field Day seems meaningless.

How many Field Days have you actually done?

In the 1930s, simple low-power equipment wasn't all that big or heavy. That's what got used on Field Day, not the heavy iron. Much of it ran on batteries, which were cheap back then.

The big challenge then and now is antennas.

73 de Jim, N2EY

[KB3PXR]

How many Field Days have you actually done?

In the 1930s, simple low-power equipment wasn't all that big or heavy. That's what got used on Field Day, not the heavy iron. Much of it ran on batteries, which were cheap back then.

The big challenge then and now is antennas.

73 de Jim, N2EY

I remember reading an emcom story from the 30's where hams used a 32 volt to 110 volt DC converter (motor-generator) and ran it off car batteries for their equipment so you aren't too far off on that. Of course back then 32 volt electrical systems were common in rural areas as many areas were not electrified and rual homes were powered by generators that charged 32 volt battery banks. In addition many people used wind generators to suppliment their generators. Look up "Delco Light" systems.

[KE4KY]

.....Rather, I think it's turned into a hybrid party + public relations event more than anything else.

Other than your back-handed attempt to belittle those that participate....you are correct.

Field Day can best described as a pie cut into three pieces.

1. Emergency excercise
2. Social event
3. Contest

The participant, or participating club/agency can gear the event to whatever fits their model. A "served agency" may choose to use it as an exercise for field experience. A "club" may use it as a social event for a cook-out, re-union, etc... Some groups may only operate simply to gather a score to get printed in a magazine.

The participants choose how large, or how present, any one of the three slices are.

[WA4OTD]

I think any home station shouldn't be allowed to run a freq, only stations setup as portable or emergency should be able to run a freq.

Three or 4 years ago I was a primary operator for the GOTA as I had been generally inactive for previous 20 years. I like that aspect of the GOTA.

I would give 3 points for each CW contact

[WA4OTD]

I like the ARRL Objective:-
To work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands (excluding the 60, 30, 17, and 12-meter bands) and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2. DX stations residing in other regions may be contacted for credit, but are not eligible to submit entries.

[N8FGB]

D and E class should not be allowed to call CQ. They can only respond to real FD statioms.
Rich

[WD5ABC]

For the most part I like the rules as they are but I agree with a couple of others that the station power should determine the value of that station's contacts, not the highest power run by that group. I made a few QRP contacts Saturday night but since everybody else was running 100w my contacts only count as 2 points (all CW). If my station is QRP, I could get the QRP points even though the other CW stations get 2 points. There's no incentive (bonus?) to run any QRP stations unless ALL the stations are QRP. I could run under a different callsign but that would penalize the club's aggregate score.

Funny, 2 other guys and I used to set up our own QRP FD and we always beat the rest of the club combined. Those QRP contacts are worth a LOT.

73,
Kerry, WD5ABC

[WA4OTD]

I like this proposed change.

For the most part I like the rules as they are but I agree with a couple of others that the station power should determine the value of that station's contacts, not the highest power run by that group. I made a few QRP contacts Saturday night but since everybody else was running 100w my contacts only count as 2 points (all CW). If my station is QRP, I could get the QRP points even though the other CW stations get 2 points. There's no incentive (bonus?) to run any QRP stations unless ALL the stations are QRP. I could run under a different callsign but that would penalize the club's aggregate score.

Funny, 2 other guys and I used to set up our own QRP FD and we always beat the rest of the club combined. Those QRP contacts are worth a LOT.

73,
Kerry, WD5ABC

[WA7PRC]

Yes, the FD rules are many and complex...

No, I haven't noticed that. I wouldn't change a thing.

D and E class should not be allowed to call CQ. They can only respond to real FD statioms.

REAL Field Day stations exist in all forms. After all, FD is primarily an emergency preparedness excercise for hams and in a real emergency, you'll have stations in all of those settings operating. Classes A through E (and F too) are all real FD stations.

[N8XRE]

REAL Field Day stations exist in all forms. After all, FD is primarily an emergency preparedness excercise for hams and in a real emergency, you'll have stations in all of those settings operating. Classes A through E (and F too) are all real FD stations.

Darn right!

During the blackout of 2003, I was effectively running 1E from my home, I didn't deploy anywhere. The disaster came to me.

It'd be totally impractical or downright impossible to judge, but I'd love a bonus for running any station using a improvised non-commercially built antenna, put together on-site. Beer can verticals, lamp post verticals, barbed wire dipoles, chicken wire dishes, etc.