[UK-CONTEST] Consultation - NFD

[Don Field]

Speaking personally (not wearing any of my Contesting or RSGB hats!), I
would offer the following:

1. We have a wee problem in insisting on sticking to UK Field Day rules in
that we have two sets of rules - one for CW Field Day and another,
completely different set, for SSB Field Day. Some resolution seems to be in
order before we start banging tables!

2. I don't agree with Roger G3SXW that 50 QSOs an hour is too slow - for
most club members that is positively warp speed. Let's remember that this
isn't an event purely for the "big guns". But I would like to see /P
activity from more European countries - Italy and Spain, for example. Would
add to the interest of the event. No fixed to fixed contacts, please!

3. There can be a co-ordination of dates to achieve (2) above without
necessarily having the same set of rules for everyone. Surely no one can
object to the encouragement of a common date for European Field Days?

4. With RADARC, I was involved in several Open Section wins but, perhaps as
a result of our own efforts, we raised the ante to the point where Open
Section was only realistic for a few clubs (two mobile towers, several 60ft
masts, full computer-controlled switching of all antennas, and that was ten
years ago). So maybe there really is a case for taking Field Day back to
KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) and removing the Open Sectiuon, though SSB
Field Day may be tough with only 100 watts and a wire.

5. Cluster use is illogical. There are very few on-air clusters these days -
how many folk have broadband at their Field Day site? Surely the argument
behind Field Day is to be able to provide comms when fixed infrastructure
goes down?

FWIW!

Don G3XTT

(nice to see so many contributions, all of them constructive - makes a
change from some of the apathy and whining on here!)