Central Alberta Amateur Radio Club
General News
Logging for Field Day
Jun 13th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day`
Keeping accurate log of your Field Day QSOs is important.
You may log on paper. ARRL provides Log Sheets to download at http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/2019%20FD%20Log%20Sheet.pdf .
When you are reporting, the ARRL asks for a “Dupe Sheet”, they can be downloaded from http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/2018-Field-Day-2-page-dupesheet.pdf . You can print them double sided on 8 1/2x11” paper. You could use one for each expected band-mode on which you will operate. In contests before computer logging was/is applied, dupe sheets were used to quickly see if a particular station had been worked. That would save time and probably lead to higher scores for all stations, because a second contact on the same band mode between two stations does not increase the score. So, enter the QSO in the log, then quickly enter the call sign in the dupe sheet under the appropriate heading. At the end of the Field Day period count up all the call signs of station worked in each band-mode for competing your station report. It is probably better to work directly on the log sheet rather than use scratch paper, you can strike through “busted” contacts but you won’t forget and won’t need time to transcribe at the end.
Michael KB9VBR states that logging on paper gets “really cumbersome” if you make more than 50 QSOs in his presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W48NZVngQ6A about preparing for Field Day. He is suggesting computer logging if you expect more. He is expecting to use the N3FJP ARRL Field Day Contest Log Software.
Contest logging programs check for Duplicate.
Submitting Your Entry
Jun 13th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day`
Contribute to the CAARC accumulated Field Day score! When submitting your entry to the ARRL, making sure that you state “Central Alberta Amateur Radio Club” in the space for “Club”. Each participating station will have to submit its own entry.
Submitting Your Entry
When you submit your entry to the ARRL it gets published in QST with stations of the same class. It is a way of saying, “I was there.” It also helps the ARRL count the numbers of participating stations and amateurs.
During the Field Day Period, just concentrate on making an accurate log of any completed Field Day QSO including the time completed and on completing any bonus activities that you have decided to participate in. ARRL prefers that we provide a list of stations worked by band/mode during the Field Day period (dupe sheet or an alpha/numeric list sorted by band and mode or alternately a Cabrillo Log) (Note: Some logging software will create this list). Now count the QSOs in each list. Here is a scrap of an early form of the Dupe Sheet submitted for Field Day Station VE6QE for 2019 (prepared by N3FJP Field Day Log program):
Bonuses Available to Class E Station
Jun 11th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
Available to Class E Stations Home or Club Permanent Stations using a Power Source other than Commercial Power
100% Emergency Power: 100 points per transmitter classification (as stated in your Field Day Exchange) if all contacts are made only using power source completely independent from commercial mains for all transceivers and any computers creating signals to be transmitted.
You may participate in any or none of the following activities:
Bonuses Available to Class D Stations
Jun 11th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
Available to Class D Home or Club Permanent Stations using Commercial Power
You may participate in any or none of the following activities:
Bonuses Available to Class C Stations
Jun 11th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
Available to Class C Mobile Stations
You may participate in any or none of the following activities:
2020 Field Day
Jun 10th
Hams from all over Central Alberta are gearing up for Field Day 2020! It will be unlike any previous Field Day due to the relaxing/changing of rules due to Covid 19. There are so many ways to be a part of Field Day this year. Be sure to check out Field Day info posted on our website. Please note that the group score of each participating station may contribute to this year by specifying “Central Alberta Amateur Radio Club” as their club affiliation in their submission to the ARRL. Good luck to everyone, however you choose to participate! ….Sandy Jacobs, VE6SND, President CAARC
Bonuses Available to Class B Stations
Jun 10th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
Bonuses available to Class B one or two-person portable stations
You may participate in any of the following, or none:
ARRL Contest Program Issues Field Day 2020 FAQ
Jun 10th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
some Frequently Asked Questions related to the Field Day temporary rule waivers .
http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-contest-program-issues-field-day-2020-faq .
Bonuses (The Field Day Kind)
Jun 10th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
There is another aspect to Field Day besides counting your QSO score and applying multipliers. Many of these bonuses are for activities that will project the excitement of amateur radio into our community. Others are to demonstrate and develop the robustness of amateur radio. Some of these items require preparation before Field Day.
You can claim bonus points depending on your entry class, here we will concentrate on Class B, C, D and E stations. They also are also available to Class A and Class F stations. Bonuses available to only one class will be described in the coming up post for the bonuses for that class along with other available bonuses with short descriptions. The descriptions here include extensive quoting from the ARRL Field Day Rules.
There will be a separate post for each of Classes B. C, D, and E showing all available bonuses.
Participation in these activities is optional. The point values are equivalent to those for making several QSOs, which In part makes up for the time that you would have to take away from talking on the radio.
Bonuses to more than one of Classes B, C, D and E which need a little explanation
Field Day in Social Distancing and Correction about Class B
Jun 4th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
Field Day in Social Distancing and Correction about Class B
The evening of June 3rd, I watched an IARU workshop entitled “Field Day in Social Distancing,” presented by Anthony Luscre K8ZT. Anthony has done a Class B Field Day in various locations across the United States for many years. The presentation dealt with many ways of participating in Field Day while preserving distancing rules. You can watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLk5_BIpF6s . It is 90 minutes long, with comments and questions taking up the last 25 minutes.
As I watched it, I noticed a mistake that I made in trying to guide you. Specifically, about Class B stations. From “Field Day Frequently Asked Questions” at http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/2019-FD-FAQ-RevA.pdf :
“Convenient access across one’s backyard to their home station facilities is not in keeping with the spirit of Class A or Class B portable operations. Such convenient backyard operations on property of home stations remain either Class D (commercial power) or Class E (emergency power), even if home antenna structures are not used. If the station will be a ‘good hike’ away from a home station (eg, at the rear of a several acre lot, or perhaps operating from a farmers field down the road) – clearly away from home conveniences (away from home utilities, or home restrooms/bedrooms, or even eating facilities/refrigerator/kitchen) – then Class A (3 or more persons portable) or Class B (1 or 2 person portable) is appropriate.”
So, it appears that the idea is that not only is your station portable, but your sustenance and upkeep should be self-contained as well. Anthony stated his feeling that if you take everything that you will need — power, apparatus, tools, food, sleeping arrangements, etc. — out of your house and plan not to go back, it doesn’t matter that much how far you go.
Background, official rules, and many hints can be found at http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2020/2020%20Field%20Day%20Packet(1).pdf .
ARRL’s official Field Day site is http://www.arrl.org/field-day .
Comments or questions to John VA6SJA, va6sja@rac.ca
John VA6SJA
