[UK-CONTEST] Consultation - NFD

[Jonathan G0DVJ]

Ok - NFD thoughts from one of the smallest pistol groups...

I agree with many of the points made by a number of the contributors  
in this thread.  At Harwich we are struggling to find CW operators  
who can cope with all of  a) cw   b) contest speeds   c) pc  
skills.    It is as both Ed SQX and Gerry RTN said for us too.  Not  
much of a team event if 8 people spend hours erecting a station for 1  
or 2 people to operate the whole 24 hours.   We also choose NFD  
(partly due to time of year and because its 24 hour) to be our main  
social event out in the field too.    We are very unlikely to ever  
win NFD but we feel its good to support a national event, a CW event  
and a more manageble 24 hour event which is easier to keep busy at.   
However it is getting harder to justify each year - however the  
problem is nothing to do with the rules!

So to the points ...

1.  No multipliers please.
2.  No cluster allowed please.
3.  No more than 100w please.
4.  a) Either 11m or an increased 15m height restriction is fine.
4   b) I would like to see the basic section wires only but allow  
supports and multiple wires, eg a dipole per band.
5.  No fixed station section please.
6.  I would favour a simple radio restriction too - level the playing  
field even more - no transceivers with extra receivers etc.
7.  Keep it 24 hours for portables.
8.  In fact as few sections as possible please.
9   And keep the essentials of a FD... Generate own power, nothing on- 
site more than 24 hours before (12 hours prob enough), etc.

In essence, keep it simple, keep it as even a playing field as  
possible, so that there is one contest in the calendar which doesn't  
relate to having the best radio, the biggest beams and towers, the  
best amplifiers or a marathon 48 hours.  Let multi-operator mean that  
a team of club members take it in turns to operate, no multi-multi,  
no multiplier hunting on other bands etc.

In terms of the EFD, surely whatever other sections any countries  
national field day comprises they could be encouraged to have one  
basic section which would adhere to these minimum requirements/ 
restrictions.  If other countries want to have high power or other  
more open sectioned competitions running at the same time then fine,  
but make the common EFD section the most basic and most restricted  
lowest common denominator (lcd).  If big stations want to compete in  
their own smaller but exclusive sections thats fine but let the  
majority who want to compete in the largest section with those from  
other countries be tabulated together in the lcd section.

Basic section:  100W, dipoles per band, 15m max height, any number of  
supports, no extra receivers or spotting, no short calls, etc.

i.e. Lets make it as easy as possible for any groups to all compete  
at the same basic level.

Getting sufficient people interested/motivated for CW at all and  
contesting in particular in future years is going to be a very  
different and challenging issue to deal with - in other threads.

But what do I know!
73,
Jonathan G0DVJ
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