Do we really need to write more and/or change the rules. We just need to obey the rules we learned a long time ago. Really, aren't the rules that govern Amateur Radio Etiquette similar to the same rules that we learned in Kindergarten?
This is what I am beginning to wonder. I think I have about 20 emails now with this subject. To be quite honest, I think everyone makes too big a deal out of "satellite field day." I made one (1) satellite QSO during the entire event to get the 100 points for our club - the QSO was not rushed, I had plenty of room, and I was only running 5w as usual. IMO, the issue at hand is that everyone plans on making 100+ QSOs on FD via satellites. That is 199 points. 100 for the first, then 1 per QSO. You may as well spend your time on HF which is not so crowded, or better yet, do CW and/or digital and you get 2 points/QSO. Why get so worked up over an extra few points? Get the first 100 and be done.
Secondly, you can't go into FD expecting everyone to 1) obey rules, 2) give you the right-of-way, and 3) expect to make more than one sat QSO. You need to worry more about strategizing. I was on the afternoon passes on Saturday, but I did not go into it expecting any QSOs. It was insane, but I expected it to be. Use a strategy and look for the quieter passes. We obviously didn't get anything on Saturday, so we did an overnight SO50 pass. There were very few on, and we could have very easily made a QSO, but I was having some receive issues. We tried again on AO51 Sunday morning, and we got our QSO without issue. Look for the overnight, early morning, AND LOW PASSES. If you live on the east coast, hit the eastern passes; if you live in the west, hit the western passes; if you live in central US, improve you receive setup so you can work AOS and LOS, which are generally quiet. Use some strategy and drop the expectations.
Just my 2 cents...
Hopefully everyone had an enjoyable FD in spite of the busy passes. I enjoyed seeing some familiar calls get logged. I watched Jeff, KB2M, get logged, and I also got to work Chris, N1BSA. I am sure I worked more of you, but everyone was using unfamiliar club calls. Our club was running 4A with an additional 6m station (which made 114 QSOs by itself compared to 35 last year!), and we ended up with a little over 1600 QSOs. The call was W8CBF if any of you have good memories....
The Ohio section manager Frank, KI8GW, also stopped by the club and enjoyed dinner with us. This was his second year in a row stopping by. The club is comprised of about 3-4 elmers and about 20+ kids ranging from 5-25. Some have more experience than others. Frank really enjoys seeing the youth get more active, and we enjoy being able to host him!
Does anyone else have any cool brags and/or something noteworthy (or not noteworthy) that occurred on FD? I personally don't see any need to continue the subject about the poor operating practice. What is done is done, just plan for next year.
73!
Zack KD8KSN
-----Original Message----- From: KM9U Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 6:30 PM To: Tim Cunningham ; [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FD Mess
Do we really need to write more and/or change the rules. We just need to obey the rules we learned a long time ago. Really, aren't the rules that govern Amateur Radio Etiquette similar to the same rules that we learned in Kindergarten? "These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK." Everything you need to know about Ham Radio and life in general is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living. [Source: "ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN" by Robert Fulghum]
;-)) And here's to wishing you a Happy Field Day 2012! Chuck, KM9U
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Cunningham" [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 17:49 Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FD Mess
Read the AMSAT rules. The title of the AMSAT rules IS clear when you read the title as "2011 AMSAT Field Day Competition ".
Tim - N8DEU
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Geiger" [email protected] To: "STeve Andre'" [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 2:11 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FD Mess
Of course it isn't a contest. The best evidence is that they print the scores in QST!
73s John AA5JG
On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 2:09 PM, STeve Andre' [email protected] wrote:
Well, is IS a contest, no matter what the ARRL says. People see it as such. My first FD before I was a ham, looked like a contest to me and it was only later, reading all the ARRL books I could get ahold of that I realized it really wasn't one.
All contests where you go outside are test runs for emergency stuff. Our club in Ann Arbor MI (Arrow Communication Association) does the summer vhf+ contests outside (6m-1296) and those have been a great way to figure out ways of doing stuff.
I would argue that the ARRL needs to change the way they talk, and offer FD as both a contest and exercise in communications, and speak of the exercise opportunities at the other contests, especially those of rovers.
--STeve Andre' wb8wsf en72
On 06/27/11 14:21, Nigel Gunn wrote:
A bigger FD problem is that FD is advertised as a chance to demonstrate your emergency comms ability to Joe Public. FD is NOT a contest so why are points and bonuses involved at all?
On 27/06/11 19:13, Bill Acito W1PA wrote:
I think we have to let go of the mantra that “any use of the bandwidth
is good use” with respect to “encouraging more satellite activity”. Wasn’t that the original intent of the “100 point bonus” items? To encourage specific activities – traffic handling, promotion, emergency power, etc.
Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb