Hi Bruce!
In keeing with your comment about "never being too early to begin preparing for field day", I wanted to ask how I would request a change in the 2017 Field Day rules. I see the 2016 Field Day rules are still posted on the AMSAT web site, so I'll work with that for now.
After last June's Field Day, I posted a report of my activity here on the AMSAT-BB list:
http://amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/2016-June/059257.html
Near the end of my post, I wondered aloud about the restriction on one QSO per orbiting packet digipeater, similar to the restriction on one QSO per FM satellite. I understand there was some reason that the "one QSO per digipeater" rule came about in the past, but fail to see its need now. I made packet QSOs during the 2015 and 2016 Field Days, and only counted one per satellite for my AMSAT Field Day submissions. ARRL's Field Day rules do not have a restriction on the number of QSOs per orbiting packet digipeater.
There was a fair bit of activity on the ISS passes I worked during last June's Field Day. Using APRS messages, it was easy to make quick exchanges with other stations. NO-84 was not busy, maybe due to people not realizing its digipeater was operational. Even with the level of activity I saw on the ISS passes, I don't think that approaches the almost chaotic conditions observed on some SO-50 passes.
I'm not calling for any changes to the restrictions on QSOs made via FM satellites. I would like to see this restriction on QSOs per orbiting digipeater reconsidered. It may have had a purpose in the past, but I think that's where the restriction should remain - in the past. Otherwise, AMSAT's Field Day rules are slanted heavily toward SSB/CW transponders, at the expense of anything else.
Thanks, and 73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK
On Tue, Sep 27, 2016 at 3:43 AM, Bruce kk5do@arrl.net wrote:
It is never too early to begin preparing for field day. In fact, you might want to take a look at two pages. I updated the Field Day Statistics page (with 2016 numbers) and I created a new page with the results of Field Day 2016.
Both can be found by clicking on Events, Other Events and then Field Day
If there is interest, I can add the results of previous years. Let me know. I think I have them back to 2002.
Enjoy
73...bruce