[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] ARC Operating on ARRL Field Day 2020

Wed Jun 24 19:29:18 EDT 2020

For Alexandria Radio Club members, this note is to provide a final wrap-up of ARC Field Day 2020 planning.  It is also intended to serve lieu a final planning group meeting.  Attached is the list of those who signed up as “club stations” and a list of frequencies where it may be possible to log them as contacts during Field Day. To make this a big success for ARC this Field Day, we are asking all ARC members and others to try to log contacts with our “club stations.”

As you know, operating during Field Day 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic will be very different from any others we have ever seen.  There are no Band Captains to look to, no one to guide operating properly for maximum points, and no one to take care of reporting Field Day results to ARRL, Except You. Mainly, this note is provide a handy reference for those who have never operated independently on an ARRL Field Day.  

Making contacts, how to: 

Field Day's objective is to exchange information with as many other stations as possible. The information exchanged is, strangely enough, called "the exchange," and consists of station class and section.  The section is “Virginia” or “VA.”  Field Day station classes are as follows: 

*	Class B --  One or two person portable: A Field Day station set up and operated by no more than two persons. 
*	Class B – Battery -- One or two person portable: A Field Day station set up and operated by no more than two persons. All contacts must be made using an output power of 5 Watts or less and the power source must be something other than commercial mains or motor-driven generator. One and two person Class B - Battery entries will be listed separately.
*	Class C --  Mobile: Stations in vehicles capable of operating while in motion and normally operated in this manner.  If the Class C station is being powered from a car battery or alternator, it qualifies for emergency power but does not qualify for the multiplier of 5, as the alternator/battery system constitutes a motor-driven generating system.
*	Class D -- Home stations: Stations operating from permanent or licensed station locations using commercial power.
*	Class E --  Home stations - Emergency power: Same as Class D, but using emergency power for transmitters and receivers.

For Field Day logging if you are a “club station” your contact “exchange” is your FD station class as noted on our list of “club stations” and our ARRL section, Virginia (VA).  Others may select one of the classes above. Attached is a Field Day form that may be used for complete manual logging.   

Tuning across the bands  a typical exchange may be:

"CQ CQ Field Day this is W4XYZ Whiskey four Xray Yankee Zulu, Field Day".

You call: "W4XYZ this is Whiskey four Papa Papa Papa"

W4XYZ responds: "W4PPP One delta, Virginia”

You respond: "Thanks. One Echo Virginia or Victor Alpha"

He responds: "Thanks. QRZ Field Day this is W4XYZ"

That's it! You log their call sign and the exchange, and go to the next contact.

You may work each station once per band and mode. If you type their call and the software sees that you have worked before, it will report "DUPE."

In summary:

*	Know your class (1B, 1C, 1D, or 1E) and Section (Virginia or VA) - see ARC reference packet for summary of rules
*	Make contact and exchange class and section -- see ARC reference packet for summary of rules
*	Log the following:

*	Date and time
*	Frequency,
*	Mode (SSB, CW, or digital),
*	The exchange - their call sign, class and section

*	Report results to ARRL – see ARC Reference Packet for a summary.

The complete FD packet which includes rules and submission sheets can be downloaded here:

 http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2020/2020%20Field%20Day%20Packet(1).pdf

Contact Operating tips:  BE BRIEF! Don't repeat the exchange unless you are asked. Don't insert meaningless blather like "Please copy..." A signal report is not part of the FD exchange, so don't give one. A simple "Thanks" (or TU on CW) is easier than saying "QSL" to confirm that you copied OK. Contacts go more smoothly if you provide the other station only what he expects to hear.  TURN OFF THE RIT! Receiver Incremental Tuning (Yaesu calls it Clarifier) moves your receiver frequency a bit to better tune callers who are off frequency. 

Strategy for Maximizing Field Day Contacts:

There are two techniques for operating in a contest. You can sit on a frequency calling CQ and waiting for other stations to call you. This is called “Running.” Or you can tune up and down the band looking for other stations who are calling CQ and answering them. This is called “Search and Pounce” (S&P). N1MM software has two different modes to accommodate both techniques.

Which should you use? If you have a strong signal, running is effective. If you have a low power signal, bad location or compromised antenna, running will not be productive so S&P is the strategy of choice. You can try both strategies to see what works best. Years of operating FD have shown  that using both techniques produces the best result. First, find a clear frequency, which may not be easy, call CQ until answering stations stop calling, then go to S&P. A good strategy is to start at the bottom of the band and tune up. The reverse will work too. When you get to the end of the band, find a clear frequency (see above) and start calling CQ again.

As always, remember that brevity is the essence of contesting. Never repeat unless asked. Eliminate superfluous blather like “Please copy...” Saying “Thanks” is one syllable, saying QRZ is three. Just deliver the information that the receiving station expects.

What about “dupes”? “Dupe” is contesting slang for a duplicate contact. Say you worked a station, logged it, and an hour later that station answers your CQ again. He apparently isn’t using logging software or isn’t paying attention. What to do? Log him again! It’s quicker and easier than trying to explain that he is a dupe, and there is no penalty for working him a second (or third) time.  Attached is a Field Day dupesheet form.

FIELD DAY 2020 FT8, FT4 and JS8Call, or fldigi Contacts:

If you plan to operate FD using only FT8, FT4, JS8Call or other digital modes there is no need to involve N3FJP or N1MM software. FD is a very simple contest. There are no multipliers. Your summary for submission requires only the number of contacts made per mode and band. Digital QSOs are worth 2 points each. For a score, you multiply number of digital contacts by 2 and again by 2 if you use <150 watts power. Some bonus points (see the rules at arrl.org/field-day <http://arrl.org/field-day> ) are available to one-operator stations and some are not.  ARRL requires submission of a "dupe sheet" listing callsigns of stations worked. Cabrillo logs are also accepted it.

GETTING STARTED ON FIELD DAY:

Before the official start of Field Day 2020, please read the attached list of ARC “club stations” and the ARC primary operating frequencies and modes document.  Develop a strategy for how to work all “club stations” based on their locations (how far they are away), the frequencies and modes those stations are using; and the time frame they will be listening. Many of these can be easy phone contacts within the same Maidenhead grids or nearby Maidenhead grids. Monitor the club repeater (147.315 MHz) for contact activity. Patience may be required if there is a long list of stations waiting to make a contact with one of our stations.  Just remember, that is a good thing!    

ARRL Field Day kicks off. It begins at  1800 UTC or 2:00 PM EDT (local) on Saturday and runs for 24 hours. You can operate as much as you like during that period. Use your own callsign.

All bands, including VHF/UHF, except for 12, 17, and 30 meters are in play. All modes are acceptable too, but repeater contacts are not.

Popular bands will be 20 meters (14 MHz) during daylight and 80 (3.5 MHz) and 40 meters (7 MHz) during darkness. Have a listen on 10 and 15 meters during daylight too. Lots of E-skip activity have been reported by 6 meter aficionados recently, so check that as well.

Technician license? You have Phone privileges on 10 meters and VHF/UHF so dig out your handheld radio and try a couple simplex frequencies we have in our frequency documents.  Also, 146.52 MHz is the national calling frequency and is a good one to try. Check 146.52 in the first 5 minutes of every hour by listening, then calling CQ Field Day if you don't hear anyone. Many local stations will be on for a FD contact. Exchange is CLASS and SECTION. If you're using a handheld, you will say, "One Bravo, Virginia".  Keep a log either on paper or use a computer logging program. 

For complete  instructions on submitting your FD summary and log, see www.arrl.org/field-day <http://www.arrl.org/field-day> 

Make sure you include "Alexandria Radio Club" with the exact spelling on line 2 of the summary report sheet so the club will get credit for your entry. ARRL will publish club aggregate scores in the December issue of QST.

NTS TRAFFIC HANDLING:

See Field Day 2020 Message - Message Handling attachment.  One of the usual activities at Field Day involves exercising formal message handling skills for both ARRL and ARES liaison, using the National Traffic System (NTS) formal message format.  You can use WINLINK, but there is no requirement to use Winlink.  The message to the Section Manager (100 pts) has to be in ARRL Radiogram format and include club name, number of participants, Field Day location, and number of ARES operators. It has to leave your station via ham radio RF.  You can send it via WINLINK (non-Telnet) or you could enter it into a traffic net on SSB or CW.  You could dictate it to someone who will relay it.  For example, you may dictate it to the Net control operator at the Bluemont repeater 147.300 MHz,  <http://nvtn.net/> http://nvtn.net/.  You must have your ARRL Radiogram information preplanned and assembled waiting for the net control operator to acknowledge your call and begin dictation.  The pace of traffic handling is rapid.  An example of an ARC ARRL Radiogram from 2016 is attached.  Section FD Message(s) – This has typically included originating a message from the FD site to the ARRL Section Manager (SM) and/or to the ARRL ARES Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) noting your location, number of participants, and number of ARES-enrolled operators attending.

The 10 additional messages have to be "formal" (ARRL Radiogram or ICS-213 formats are mentioned as examples) and have to depart or leave your station via ham radio RF.  Again, you could arrange with someone to relay in either direction as long as you do so via radio.  This could be 2M simplex, for example.  These can be originating third party greetings traffic from visitors, or relaying traffic from one NTS net to another NTS net, or delivering messages to the final recipient.  

W1AW Bulletin:

Another kind of message handling is copying a bulletin transmitted by W1AW (and K6KPH west-coast) as a “Code Practice” and reception test bulletin.  The W1AW Field Day transmissions schedule is attached. Copy (transcribe) the bulletin off-air and provide a copy with your scores packet.

Don Lewis

Field Day Coordinator, Alexandria Radio Club

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Field Day Log Sheet.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 50121 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/alexandriaradioclub/attachments/20200624/c269bceb/attachment-0007.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Field-Day-dupesheet.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 97731 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/alexandriaradioclub/attachments/20200624/c269bceb/attachment-0008.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: ARC Field Day Stations 6-23.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 132875 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/alexandriaradioclub/attachments/20200624/c269bceb/attachment-0009.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: W1AW Field Day Bulletin Schedule.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 73493 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/alexandriaradioclub/attachments/20200624/c269bceb/attachment-0010.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: ARC Radiogram 2016.pdf.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 119705 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/alexandriaradioclub/attachments/20200624/c269bceb/attachment-0001.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: ARC Field Day 2020 Summary of Rules and Reporting Reference Packet.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 1278914 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/alexandriaradioclub/attachments/20200624/c269bceb/attachment-0011.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Field Day 2020 Message - Message Handling.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 180695 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/alexandriaradioclub/attachments/20200624/c269bceb/attachment-0012.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Alexandria Radio Club Primary Operating Frequencies & Modes.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 107562 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/alexandriaradioclub/attachments/20200624/c269bceb/attachment-0013.pdf>