[UK-CONTEST] HF NFD RESULTS PUBLISHED

[Andrew AC6WI]

I know HF NFD and ARRL Field Day are totally different events, but they 
both get people out into a field away from commercial power to operate 
so there are some similarities.

As a point of reference, the 2011 ARRL Field Day attracted 2666 entries, 
of which 1634 were temporary stations using non-commercial power.  All 
these entries involved 39,287 participants and this number has been 
increasing for at least the last six years (it was 32,506 in 2006 and 
increased every year after that)!  Maybe there is something to be said 
for the ARRL approach as Field Day here is the single largest amateur 
radio operating event within the US, by far!  ARRL don't call it a 
contest, but it really is a contest in all but name.

Some of the differences to HF NFD are quite stark though.  ARRL Field 
Day allows all bands from DC to light (except WARC bands) and all modes, 
SSB, CW, digital, FM, or whatever.  You can also put up as many antennas 
as you can manage in the 24 hours before kick-off time and run as many 
stations as you want.  I've done five Field Days here with the W3AO 
group, who have the largest Field Day set up in the US by quite a margin 
(usually with 20+ 100W stations and antennas each year), and as well as 
being an operating event, this is also a great social event.  The 80-odd 
people who operate at W3AO *want* to come back year after year.  This 
happens all over the country which is why participation is rapidly 
increasing (20% in five years) in ARRL FD.  It should also be noted that 
the ARRL do some serious promoting of the event in the preceding couple 
of months.

I'm not saying HF NFD should copy the ARRL FD rules verbatim, but maybe 
they should be looked at to see where improvements could be made to HF 
NFD to encourage more participation.  See what works for ARRL FD, it 
just might save HF NFD from extinction, which would be tragic.

Vy 73,

Andrew AC6WI / GI0NWG



On 30/08/12 09:39, David wrote:
> Ultimately the rules are judged by the participants or lack of them.
>
> If the numbers are going down then draw the obvious conclusion.
>
> I am a great believer in the adage 'Keep It Simple Stupid'.
>
> By the way look at this set of field day rules:
> http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2012/2012-FD-Rules.pdf
>
> Probably a little smaller than RSGB field day rule set - including the HF
> and the VHF general rules. But notice the category and scoring system and
> you see what ARRL are encouraging. RSGB NFD rules especially on HF are about
> discouraging - they are too restrictive.
>
> May be I am treading on some hallowed turf with my next comment: Stop
> looking to the past glories look towards the future and make decisions about
> the future not the so called golden past of 10 watts DC input with a peddle
> generator, a TRF receiver with a bit of wire thrown over a tree.
>
> 73 David G3YYD