[WriteLog] RE: Field Day purpose ... was something else ...

[Jim Brown]

>It is not a contest so why do you treat it like one?

Ah, but it IS a contest, and in the 49 years I've been a ham, has always been a 
contest!  But it is a different sort of contest -- one that emphasizes group effort 
among local clubs and ad hoc groups, emergency preparedness, temporary 
setups, socializing, public relations, nurturing new hams, and most important, 
LOW POWER AND SIMPLE ANTENNAS!  

Field Day is a contest that is won by a group effort by many people, not by big 
money spent on elaborate antenna farms, complex antenna switching, 
expensive radios, and big power amps. It is a contest where a good operator 
with 100 watts and a dipole can be competitive. In short, it is a contest for folks 
who either can't or don't care to BUY a big score. 

Our local ham club maintains two repeaters and holds monthly meetings, each 
with a speaker who presents an interesting program. But Field Day is our 
biggest club activity by far. We did quite well on Field Day this year, and may 
place in the top 5 in our category. If we did, it will be because we planned for it 
for half a year, because a team of six guys spent Friday afternoon putting up a 
half dozen fine antennas, some more guys came in Saturday morning and set 
up the rest of the gear, some more guys came in and spent time operating, 
some more contributed the work to get us nearly all the possible bonus points, 
some more guys showed up to to cook, several of our guys used the GOTA 
station to recruit new/inactive hams and contributed 400 QSO's, and some 
more guys showed up to tear down when it was over. Several of us built 
antennas specifically for Field Day, and we learned stuff in the process. 

If I had my way, ALL contests would be limited to 100 watts, and there would be 
separate classes for those who, either by choice or necessity, use only wire 
antennas. An increasing number of hams live in cities, where big antenna farms 
are difficult or impossible. In my 49 years as a ham, I've never run more than 
100 watts and I've never had an HF beam. It is a blot on our hobby that folks like 
us can't be competitve in most contests. 

I think it's great that some of us are able to build nice antenna farms on remote 
sites,and I'm becoming a partner in one myself.  But success (or even viability) 
in contests should not be limited to those who can. And IMO, Field Day is the 
single most important activity in ham radio, and by far the most important 
contest. 

Jim Brown  K9YC