[SCCC] Ramblings about FD

[Bill Haddon]

There has been some implied and stated criticism of ARRL over FD 2024.

-- I commend ARRL for preserving a crowd-based activity through the COVID
pandemic, a horrible health crisis that may have cost,directly and
indirectly, up to 2,000,000 lives in the US. FD this year was vigorous and
fun, even with some lingering worries about COVID.
-- It is important to realize that although emcomm is important, it no
longer dominates. . . reaching out to the public has greater importance
through many bonus point incentives based on diverse activities. .
satellite, GOTA, publicity on both social and "print" media, contact with
elected officials etc and copying that lengthly bulletin from W1AW and
W6KPH.

-- Allowing D-D qsos make a positive contribution. . their availability
increases activity in the event and that's good.  Similarly, the Canada Day
contest next week allows non-VE to non-VE qso's, albeit with greatly
reduced points.  D-D allows many hams, perhaps unable to be in the field
for many reasons, to participate in the event.  Appropriately, the D
"scores" are NOT mixed with those of field stations.

-- the /6 or whatever   not necessary or desirable; the category itself
gives that information (I don't recall having to sign W6PW/6 in the 50's).
It would be somewhat cumbersome to dis-allow D-D QSO's.

-- My only objection is the home contest ops going at 40wpm. . keeping the
speed down is better for new operators.

Here is part of the inspiring report from my old club, the SFRC, W6PW:

"We had over 30 visitors [at W6PW] many of whom became guest operators,
many of whom made their first-ever HF contacts. One operator made her first
HF contact - with France! Got them on the first call, and our only real DX
contact for the day - impressive!"

In 1958 as a Jr in HS, I had responsibility, as K6OPI, for the 15m CW
effort from W6PW.  With transportation help from Frank ,W6JWF I moved an HT-32,
SX-100, Vibroplex bug and 2-el beam, constructed from 2x2's and bamboo
wrapped with aluminum foil, to the FD site, MacLaren park, in the SE corner
of San Francisco.  The massive smoke-belching multi-KW generator was
supplied by W6GGC ("Golden Garbage Can"), a SF junk dealer . . today he
would be an esteemed recycler.  I recall learning many interesting new
words through the long night.

This year I operated 1E from Lake County, QRP.

73 Bill N6ZFO and N6ZFO/4

On Mon, Jun 24, 2024 at 8:22 AM W6PH via SCCC <sccc at contesting.com> wrote:

> Long ago we were required to use the portable call sign anytime we weren't
> at our FCC location.  FD stations signed W6PH/6.  So we knew which stations
> were in the Field.  I don't think that home based stations had scores
> published.  So there was no incentive for home based stations to run
> stations.  Home based stations on commercial power just answered portable
> stations.
>  The whole reason for Field Day was to show that we could communicate in
> an emergency.  It became a social event as well.  I think many contesters
> (me included) got their first taste of rate contesting at FD. To go back to
> the spirit of Field Day I would suggest a couple changes which will never
> happen.  I would delete published scores from home based stations on
> commercial power.  I would limit the power of all participants  to 100
> watts.  I would mandate for stations in the field to identify with the
> stroke and call area number to show the stations who are out in the field.
> Contacts with or between stations on emergency power would count for
> points. We have come a long way from the days of a 2000 pound diesel
> generator and a slug of DX-100's and Hallicrafter receivers on picnic
> tables and wires in the trees.  We now have IC7000's and Honda 2000i's or
> 100 Ah lithium iron phosphate batteries and laptops for logging.  It is a
> lot easier.  My first FD was in 1955 at W6UCS/6 in Pacific Grove as a newly
> licensed Novice.  They wouldn't let me operate.  But I got the bug
> listening to them operate on 75 with an ART13 transmitter and BC348
> receiver.  The next year we had FD on Fremont Peak and I got to operate a
> lot of CW.  Them were the days. Disclaimer:  I have not participated in FD
> for over 10 years for no apparent reason other than lack of locals in the
> 50 miles around me who would be interested. Kurt W6PH
> In a message dated 6/23/2024 7:36:19 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> dino at kx6d.com writes:
> Ryan, the problem isn't the Delta stations. They have been around for
> decades and a good source of points for the club stations.
>
> The issue is, starting in 2020 they changed the rule that now allows delta
> stations to contact delta stations for points. So the guys stopped going to
> the field and all the delta stations with superior antennas are talking to
> eachother. The guys in the field with wire antennas couldn't get heard.
> There is a reason that rule existed and after Covid they should of put it
> back to the 2019 rules where Deltas could count any stations for points,
> except for other deltas. Its very simple even a Division Director could
> figure it out. Yet that rule exists still and there is no incentive to put
> in the effort to go to the field. If they want Home Day they should start
> their own contest.
>
> 2020 was a disaster for Field Stations. So much so they had to change the
> rules again for 2021, and again for 2022!!! I wouldn't have believed that
> people at HQ could be this stupid but they have proven me wrong.
>
> Just take away the points of D to D contacts and this problem goes away in
> an instance. Even the Class D'Souza with amplifiers wasn't a problem in
> 2019. We never saw 7D or even 3D before 2020. Why now? Because its easy to
> sit at home and ruin it for the guys in the field. One rule change. One
> SIMPLE rule change back to the way it was for DECADES...for good reaso
>
>