Field Day Above 50 MHz
Posted in president; tagged with event
On Field Day, we have the 1-in-365-day chance to reach a large set of radio operators and practice on-air operating skills.
| Let’s get on the air, too | |
|---|---|
| VHF simplex without tone, likely frequencies listed below | |
| 2021-06-26, Saturday | |
| 14:00 to 17:00 |
Many VECTOR members only use VHF and UHF radios. Field Day holds space for VHF and UHF in the “above 50 MHz” clause. (Emphasis added below.)
To contact as many stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 Meter HF bands, as well as all bands 50 MHz and above, and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions.
VHF works just like HF and satellite:
-
set up in atypical (“disaster response”) conditions
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transmit at maximum 150 PEP from home
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use the call-response protocol listed in the rules
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send your logs to ARRL.org on the web-form
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use all modes, except repeaters and cross-band (rule 6.8)
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in-play includes satellites (easier with directional antenna)
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note VECTOR in your submission to ARRL to build up our aggregated club score (rule 7)
Tally ho, for we that only have a VHF or UHF radio can still find or send contacts on Field Day.
Follow-up items
WUMPUS 2 Exercise cancelled for 2021 without a lead operator
We have cancelled the June Exercise. Please join in Field Day on-air.
Field Day on VHF-UHF
VHF-UHF notes from the June Newsletter.
- Refer to BC Band Plans to start your hunts: Plan A VHF, Plan A UHF
- Scan frequencies for activity, skip the repeaters
- Send your CQ or hunt for CQ: tips
- Capture and send in your contacts: log form, dupe sheet, ARRL web form
Likely frequencies for contact
Let’s use some QSO party frequencies to find others on air, listed below in MHz (simplex without tone squelch):
- 146.415
- 146.460
- 146.505
- 146.565
- 147.420
- 147.510
Call-response protocol example
| CQ Operator | QSO Operator |
|---|---|
| CQ Field Day CQ Field Day this is VE7DET this is VE7DET | (listening) |
| (listening) | VE7NTX VE7NTX One Bravo British Columbia |
| I copy VE7NTX One Bravo British Columbia. We are One Bravo (pause) British Columbia | (listening) |
| (listening) | Roger QSO, have a good Field Day. |
| Thanks, have a good Field Day. | (listening) |
Goals:
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Identify for Field Day (CQ Field Day, Call Sign)
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Confirm contact identity, class, and section
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Send your identity, class, and section
On-air operating skills include
- using your radio’s controls
- logging
- keeping good voice pace
- speaking with good voice tone
- listening well
- phonetic alphabet
- brevity
RAC’s Point for Field Day
To determine the effectiveness of the exercise and of each participant’s operations, there is an integrated contesting component, and many clubs also engage in concurrent leisure activities (camping out, cookouts, etc.). Operations typically last a continuous 24 hours, requiring scheduled relief operators to keep stations on the air. Additional contest points are awarded for experimenting with unusual modes, making contacts via satellite, and involving youth in the activity.
Help Build Aggregated Club Score for VECTOR
For Field Day 2021, an aggregate club score will also be published, which will be the sum of all individual entries indicating a specific club (similar to the aggregate score totals used in ARRL affiliated club competitions). Ordinarily, club names are only published in the results for Class A and Class F entries, but the temporary rule waiver for 2021 allows participants from any Class to optionally include a single club name with their submitted results following Field Day.
Edited 2021-06-18 with updates.