>> It's time the ARRL "officially" recognized FD as a contest. Every
>> club I have operated with considers it a contest, so let's quit
pretending.
Some of the contesters "demanding" the ARRL officially recognize FD
as a contest ought to try going before congress and explaining how a
ham radio contest is in the public interest. While some could make a
case by really reaching afar, the idea of ARRL putting on a yearly
emergency preparedness exercise seems to capture the official mind
more than a contest.
Field Day was conceived as an emergency preparedness exercise.
It serves a national purpose to leave it that way. There are contests
almost every weekend of the year put on by various sponsors.
Field Day has evolved on many levels. It is a way to introduce
a contest environment to non-contesters. It is a way to introduce
HF operation to those with VHF only privileges. It is a way for radio
club members to socialize with each other during an operating
opportunity. It is even a way for the multi-station contest crowd to
test their equipment on close-in contacts.
What it is NOT is just another contest. We have enough of those.
ARRL needs vehicles like Field Day to use as a discussion points
with Congress, the State Department and the FCC.
A recent thread boasted about contacts on the internet by packet
radio. Good move. Gives those who believe that ham radio CAN
be done on the internet just that more ammunition to say that IF ham
radio can be done on the internet, then WHY DO HAMS NEED
valuable spectrum. Spectrum that could be auctioned.
We need Field Day on the radio a lot more than field day on the
internet. I believe the current ARRL Board understands the issues
and will not make Field Day "just another contest" any time soon.
-73- Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML
ARRL First Vice President
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