[SCCC] digital modes during FD

[Drew Arnett]

Yep.  Someone mentioned "BBQ op".  :-)

Entries are the number of logs submitted.  This could be a single op
or a big multi-multi.  Participants is the total headcount.

It's actually encouraging to see that almost 20,000 ops got on the air
in 2020.  Increased QSOs at least partially means in normal years they
are waiting their turn at the rig.  The only worrisome thing is that
FD is such a great intro to amateur radio or HF operating, so the loss
of recruitment value.

I wonder how much the participants and entrants numbers as well as the
mode breakdown were influenced by not so many folks going out to
portable, more RFI free locations?

Drew


On Fri, Feb 12, 2021 at 6:51 AM Ken Widelitz <kwidelitz at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I would submit that many of those counting as "participants" go to field day to set up, take down, schmooze and drink beer. If left to their own devices as with FD 2020, they do not get on the air.
>
> 73, Ken, K6LA / VY2TT
>
> On Thu, Feb 11, 2021 at 10:31 PM Ken Alker <ka6ken at alker.net> wrote:
>>
>> Absolutely fascinating stats!  Why do you suppose there were 3x as many
>> entries, yet 1/2 as many participants?  I can't figure that one out -
>> doesn't seem to make sense.  Either I'm not understanding, or the stats are
>> messed up, or there is some very logical explanation that is over my
>> head... (maybe I'm not understanding the definition of entrant vs.
>> participant)... ?
>>
>> Ken
>>
>> --On Thursday, February 11, 2021 4:36 PM +0000 Drew Arnett
>> <arnett.drew at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Anyone know of a breakdown of digital modes used during Field Day?
>> > Email me if you do!
>> >
>> > I was wondering if it was worth taking one for the team and
>> > volunteering to work digital during FD to help our multi-multi score.
>> > I'll RTTY contest all day long no complaints.  PSK31?  If not too many
>> > folks run their brag tape macros during FD.  FT.  Well, yeah, maybe
>> > I'm not that dedicated to the team.  :-)
>> >
>> > Next best thing I took the last 20 years of FD summary data from the
>> > results articles.  Here's a PDF with some fun plots:
>> >
>> >
>> > https://drive.google.com/file/d/19K_6t-HKbo8f984qUUe4q3NKYO7sgsQ8/view?us
>> > p=sharing
>> >
>> > Fun to see trends prior to FT, the FT phenomenon, as well as the COVID-19
>> > bump.
>> >
>> > Some extra data from the last few years that is interesting to think
>> > about, too:
>> >
>> > 2019 -- entries:  3,113, participants:  36,420, total Qs:  1,095,969
>> > 2020 -- entries:  10213, participants:  18,886, total Qs:  1,862,985
>> >
>> > Entries up 3X and but only 1/2 the participants.
>> >
>> > 3X stations on the air gave us 1.7X QSOs.
>> >
>> > % of entries that are D, E, F class -- 2019:  46%, 2020:  82%
>> > % of QSOs phone 2018 (baseline):  52%, 2019:  45%, 2020:  35%
>> > Down 7% 2019 versus baseline and down 17% 2020 versus baseline.
>> >
>> > There's interesting stuff in this data including if and how much
>> > effort to spend on digital.  Will be interesting to see 2022 FD data
>> > (a normal, non-COVID-19 bump  year I presume).
>> >
>> > I'd encourage contest organizers to let folks send in logs with the
>> > digital modes not all lumped into one category.  (For VHF+ events,
>> > same for SSB versus FM, too.)  Their contest log analysis can do the
>> > lumping instead of the entrants easily enough.  And that would be a
>> > treasure trove of data to have to look at trends.
>> >
>> > Best regards,
>> >
>> > Drew
>> > n7da
>> > _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
>>
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