[UK-CONTEST] NFD Less Than Four Weeks Away

[Dave Lawley]

Guys

The following is an extract from a piece I wrote for CDXC 
Digest, reproduced with permission.

The deadline for NFD notifications published in Radcom
is 6 May (today) but I am happy to receive notification up
to 20 May, please email notifications to 
g4buo at compuserve.com   

I will be away for a few days this week so you may not 
receive an instant confirmation.

73, Dave Lawley G4BUO
RSGB HF Contests Committee

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The beginning of June is going to be a very busy time. We have the Jubilee
celebrations, the commencement of the World Cup, and the GB50 station at
Windsor Castle. There are also two major HF contests: the one-off Jubilee
event on 8-9 June, of which more later, but firstly National Field Day
which will be held on 1-2 June.

CW field day is one of the very oldest events in the calendar, and field
days have often given amateurs their first introduction to contesting.
Indeed, some people get their first taste of ham radio by visiting a field
day site.

It was with great regret that last year the RSGB HF Contests Committee
cancelled NFD in view of the Foot & Mouth situation. There was a danger
that some groups might not return in 2002, and the other attractions
centered around the Jubilee and the World Cup may also affect
participation.

I'd like to ask all CDXC members to consider getting involved in NFD this
year and helping to make it a success once again. Some of you will need no
encouragement - after the layoff last year you're already looking forward
eagerly to this year's entry. There are others who used to do NFD but
haven't in recent years, and others still who have never given it a try.
Although this is a CW event I'm not talking to CW contesters only: one of
the great things about field days is that there is a wide range of
participants, from one man in a tent up a mountain to large club jamborees.


The emphasis can be more on socialising, having a barbeque and some beer,
while the on-air activity takes a back seat. Some large clubs combine the
best of both worlds, with an 'A' station operated by perhaps just three
people and going all out for a win, and a 'B' station used as a training or
recreational entry and maybe even shutting down for a few hours overnight.
Of course, it's quite possible that tomorrow's A operators will start out
on the B team. 

The contest is for 24 hours from 15.00z on Saturday 1 June. The rules are
on page 52 of January Radcom, and note that there is provision for groups
which plan to enter to register with me. This helps the contest committee
to gauge the level of activity and to plan for inspections: with the
exception of the WRTC events, NFD is the only contest I am aware of in
which the organisers check that the rules are being observed during the
event itself. 

This isn't because NFD has ever suffered from cheating on a widespread
scale, but it helps to ensure that in particular the power level (100w) and
antenna height limit (20m) rules are being observed so we all know we
really are competing on equal terms. Each year a small percentage of groups
is visited. If your plans are not sufficiently advanced to be able to send
me a notification, this no longer prevents you from entering but you just
would not be eligible for awards.

With the advent of rigs like the K2, it's very easy to put together a
little field day entry for the QRP section in particular, which is limited
to 12 hours maximum operation. So please think carefully about giving NFD a
go and supporting one of the very best events in the calendar.

The NFD weekend is also the main Jubilee celebration weekend. The committee
was very keen to run a special contest to mark the Jubilee but we felt it
was not right to interfere with NFD, which is co-ordinated across Europe.
Instead the RSGB Jubilee Contest takes place the following weekend 8-9
June, 24 hours starting at 10.00z.