[UK-CONTEST] Two Field Days...

[G3SJJ]

Ok, Nigel, thanks. I was certainly aware from my time on HFCC
and also from comments on this reflector that some contributors to
the discussion do not appear to consider that SB FD has any value
as a contest and is therefore unworthy of consideration.

Seems to me that there are two streams of thought regarding FDs.

One is their general value to amateur radio, giving people access to
antenna rigging, setting up gear, team spirit etc. The values many of
us learnt from National Field Day. This has now been taken on by SB
FD.

The other is the highly competitive spirit, typically these days, a small
group of 2 or 3 contest-minded friends. Restricted section CW FD is
probably the main area of interest here.

Your proposed rule changes are valid and worthy of discussion. Some-
thing along those lines would certainly bring my interest back to CW FD
as I have felt it was getting a bit jaded in recent years.

Having looked at that we could then come back to the point I have been
making for the last couple of years or so, which is whether there should
then be a combined event. I guess it all depends on how interested we are
in perpetuating the values of FD or whether we just want to make them
highly competitive events for the interested few.

BTW, contrary to some people's interpretation, my proposals for a combined
event did not mean everybody having to do CW AND SSB, but were similar,
for example, to the ARRL 10m contest.

I would envisage something like, a-Restricted CW, (for the above reasons),
b-Restricted SSB, c- Open CW/SSB, (similar to IOTA multi-op). Combine
this with your rule changes and we have the makings of a very powerful Eu
Field Day.

(The main thing is that we keep discussing it and the organisers take
notice!)
73 Chris G3SJJ

Past op G3EKW/P (1963-70), G3VMW/P, G3WAS/P, G3SDC/P, G3TBK/P
and eventually G3KHZ/P in CW FD. G6CW/P, G0OAU/P, G8DD/P and now
M0CMU/P in SSB FD.

-----Original Message-----
From: uk-contest-admin at contesting.com
[mailto:uk-contest-admin at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Nigel Cawthorne
Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2002 10:20 PM
To: UK Contesting
Cc: Manfred DK2OY
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Two Field Days...


Hullo (again) UK Contesters,

In reply to Chris G3SJJ's observation that I may have been
ignoring SSB FD in the earlier comments on the CW Field
Day. Not so. To state the obvious: the two contest formats
could not be more different. The SSB FD scoring system is
based on working DXCC countries as multipliers. The CW
version is a linear scoring system, apart from the 160m / 10m
double points and the extra linear QSO points for /P stations.

If we are going to take forward both Field Days (CW and SSB)
I would suggest restructuring the scoring system of them both
in order to give much greater emphasise on working other /P
stations and not just 'DX' (as in the SSB FD/EU FD case).

G0AAA/p has only limited experience in SSB Field Day.

As far as I can recall, G0AAA/p has only entered SSB FD
once, and we won the Restricted section outright because
we did nothing other than hunt obscure DX mults most of whom
(a) were not portable, (b) were not in the contest and (c) had no
real interest in working us anyway! Not a fun operation.

If we're going to restructure the scoring of both Field Days
as well as hopefully merge them more fully with the European
events, then having multipliers based on /P stations would
seem the logical way to go. In order not to upset too much
the DX-mult element, why not have a two-level DX-mult system?
e.g if you work plain UR1OO it counts as one DX-mult [UR], but if you
work UR1OO/P it counts as three (or however many) [UR/P] mults.
There would also still be a linear scoring [QSO pts] incentive to
work any /P station (probably much greater than the current 2:1 ratio).

That way there would be a real incentive to hunt 'rare' /P stations
[both local and DX] in the two Field Days. Clubs making an
effort to put Field Day stations on the air in 'rarer' EU countries
would be rewarded with greater interest and activity. Greater levels
of activity all round will lead to even more stations taking part,
particularly as /P stations.

73 - Nigel G3TXF [third op at G0AAA/p]

PS : If you would like to see some G0AAA/p stats have a
look at www.G3TXF.com/3A's/G0AAA/G0AAAP.html
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