[WriteLog] Field Day

[Ford Peterson]

John wrote:

>I thought Field Day was supposed to be fun not "cut throat" contesting.
> 
> What ever happened to paper dupe sheets?  After all just who will log every station during an emergency. Isn't Field Day supposed to be "training" for the real thing.
> 
> Just try to bring all your fancy networked stations to a hurricane area and spend days setting them up.
> 
> 73
> NS0I   

"Cut throat?"  Well, I have never met a contester that would cut anybody's throat.  But I have met quite a few that want to fine tune their operations to squeeze the most performance out of the station.  Qs are just a measuring stick to evaluate how good you are at what you do.

There are points assigned for various aspects of FD.  And there are lots of rules in case you didn't bother checking.  FD ops that have some savvy do well on the Q count.  FD ops that can't tell a good antenna from a bad one don't do well.  

I've enjoyed many a FD.  Some were huddled around a camp fire with the beer cooler within arm's reach--oh yes, the radio(s) sat dormant on the picnic table.  They only sorta-kinda worked since the 80M dipole was at 12' and was loaded on all bands with a tuner.  Lots of laughs.  Good fun.  I've also been spending FD with some ops with excellent knowledge about radio.  Communicating is the name of the game.  Top drawer equipment  (MKVs), excellent antennas, schedules, capable operators with lots of energy and focus.  You know what?  This bunch is even more fun than the beer foam burping, hot dog chomping radio wannabees.

The rules and the Qs and the points are a way to focus a group of people.  That's the name of the game.  You mention 'training' for the real thing.  I simply laugh and ponder the tuna-tin-IIs at the campsite picnic bench, loading a buddy pole at 8', and keeping the log on the back of a brown paper bag using a grease pen.   "lemmeesee....  who would I want running the comms in a real emergency that involves my family, my community, my friends?  Those beer drinking baffoons at the picnic bench?  Or people with real skill and talent that can muster $15,000 of equipment within 3 hours of a phone call, paste it together with the skill and precision of real professionals, and commence landing nearly 3000 emergency simulation comms in 24 hours?  Our group was 2A on low power and we are pushing 3000 Qs.  If that is foaming at the mouth contesting in your view.  Fine!  Stay at your camp fire, drink all the beer you want, chomp hot-dogs till you puke, submit your 300 Qs, and be proud.  I'll bet you dollars-to-donuts that one (or more) of those 300 Qs will be with our station--thanks for being there for us!

What's your view of FD now?

Burp!

Ford-N0FP
ford at cmgate.com