Central Alberta Amateur Radio Club
General News
On Air Meeting – CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
Jun 14th
Comments and questions about small groups participating in Field Day.- final opportunity for discussion.
Wednesday June 17, 2020 at 19:00 hrs MDT
On CAARC repeater network VE6QE, VE6VHF and VE6UK. You may link if you wish.
What do you wish to discuss?
John VA6SJA will start the meeting at 1900 hrs.
Now Let’s Just Do It!
Jun 13th
CAARC Participation in 2020 ARRL Field Day
In case you need a break from the writing style of this series:
Listen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDMTmDMXbJI , they actually have harnesses on, but his platform couid make you jealous.
Et pour André, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxdKQyaxSCY
Now :
- Choose your class
- Choose which bonuses you will apply for, if any
- Do preparatory steps for any bonuses
- Choose your logging system
- Check out all radio and power apparatus that you plan to use
- Friday evening, June 26, try for the W!AW bulletin if you choose (or catch any transmission that weekend)
- On air Field Day starts at 12 noon MDT Saturday June 27
- Operate at your discretion
- Remember documentation of any bonuses.
- Make your band-mode lists of QSOs made
- Prepare and submit your entry report
In all cases when you find a conflict between this advice and ARRL rules or advice, use what the ARRL says! Some mistakes or stale rules may have crept in to these descriptions.
Another video about Field Day Planning is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W48NZVngQ6A .
This series has been an attempt to describe operating in Field Day. We hope you have found it informative and that it my have helped you decide to participate this June 27 and 28. Tell us if it has been helpful.
In the immortal words of Porky Pig, “That’s all folks!”
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 Paul VA6MPM (find his email on QRZ.com), or John VA6SJA, va6sja@rac.ca .
John VA6SJA and Paul VA6MPM
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 1/2×11” 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 .
