[HCARC] Winter Field Day - 2015

[Gary J - N5BAA]

                                                       Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio
      SPAR Announces Winter Field Day 2015
      Not only during Field Day in June, do the bands come alive with improvised signals proving the ability to respond to emergencies. Since emergencies and natural disasters don't always happen in the summer, during Winter Field Day, frigid winds, icy limbs and bitter cold replace the thunderstorms and blistering heat of summer. In 2007 SPAR established a Winter Field Day event and invited all Amateur Radio operators to participate. The event was repeated in 2008 and was considered a success, so it was then designated an annual event to be held the last full weekend each January. In 2007 - 2014 the event was enjoyed by many, but it is time to issue the invitation for the Ninth Annual SPAR Winter Field Day!

      The 2015 Winter Field Day will be held from 1700 UTC (12:00 noon EST) Saturday January 24, 2015 through 1700 UTC (12:00 noon EST) Sunday January 25, 2015. The object of the event is familiar to most Amateur Radio operators: set up emergency-style communications and make as many contacts as possible during the 24 hour period. The rules encourage as many contacts on as many bands and modes as possible, because during a real emergency, the most important factor is the ability to communicate, regardless of band, mode or distance.

      The official rules can be found at the SPAR web site. The event is open to all amateurs, although we encourage everyone to join in the discussions and other activities sponsored by SPAR. Information about SPAR can be found on the SPAR Home Page. Membership is free and open to all amateurs who want to encourage technical and operating skills. You can register by going to the SPAR Forum and registering, using your amateur callsign as your user name. 

      Please join with SPAR in promoting amateur radio and keeping our bands alive! 



      RULES:

      Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio
      The SPAR Winter Field Day
      NOTE CHANGE IN EXCHANGE THIS YEAR
      Purpose: To encourage emergency operating preparedness in the winter. 

      When: The contest runs for 24 hours during the last full weekend in January each year from 1700 UTC (12:00 noon EST) Saturday to 1700 UTC (12:00 noon EST) Sunday. For 2015, the dates are January 24 and 25, 2015. Station set up may begin no earlier than 1300 UTC (8:00 AM EST) on January 24, 2015. 

      Bands: All bands, except 12, 17, 30 and 60 meters. 

      Modes: Any mode. 

      Categories:


        a.. a) Number of operators: 1, 2, Multi 
        b.. b) Site: Indoor, Outdoor, Home
      For example, 2 operators at a remote campground would be 2O, 1 person at home would be 1H, 5 club members operating from a community center would be MI. 

      Exchange: Callsign, Category, ARRL Section (or DX outside of US and Canada), and local outside temperature (with F or C). For example 1 person from an North Texas campground where the temperature is 28 F might send "KX5XYZ 1O NTX 28F" or "KX5XYZ 1O NTX -2C" 

      QSO Points: 1 point per QSO, regardless of band and mode. The object is to be able to communicate and in an emergency it doesn't matter what band and mode is used. Busted exchanges will be penalized by 1 additional point for each missed exchange or callsign. Duplicate contacts (same station, band and mode) will not be counted, but will not be penalized. 

      Multiplier: Count 1 multiplier for each mode operated per band. For example, operating CW and Phone on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters, CW and PSK31 on 20m, FM on 2meters and satellite on 1.2 GHz would be a total multiplier of 12. 

      Bonus: Count 1000 points if commercial power is not used, 1000 points if outdoors and 1000 points if not at home. For example, operating outdoors in your backyard without commercial power would be 1000 + 1000 = 2000 points (outdoors, no commercial power), while operating from a campground tent using commercial power would be 1000 + 1000 = 2000 points (outdoors and not home). Note: There must have been at least 1 valid QSO in order to count bonus points. This is to ensure that someone claiming bonus points without actually making any contacts cannot win a category! 

      Final Score: QSO Points x Multiplier + Bonus Points. 

      Logs: Logs should be submitted to "winterfd at spar-hams.org" before 0000 UTC March 1st to be considered. All logs must be in Cabrillo format and should contain the following information:


        a.. Frequency (kHz) 
        b.. Mode (CW = CW, AM SSB FM = PH, Digital = RY, SSTV = TV, Satelite = SA) 
        c.. Date and time (UTC) 
        d.. Callsign, ARRL/RAC Section and Exchange sent 
        e.. Callsign, ARRL/RAC Section and Exchange received
      The Cabrillo QSO template is as follows. Please enter BONUS points in the Cabrillo Soapbox comments as shown

SOAPBOX: BONUS 2000 

                              --------info sent-------- -------info rcvd---------
QSO: freq  mo date       time call          ct sec temp  call         ct sec temp  
QSO: ***** ** yyyy-mm-dd nnnn ************* ** *** **** ************* ** *** ****
QSO:  3799 PH 1999-03-06 0711 W5ALT         1H STX 37F  WB5XAC        MO LA  13C 
Results will be posted on the SPAR website. Pictures, description of operations and logistics are encouraged and welcome. 

      Definitions: 

      Location - the place where an amateur station is setup for the contest. 

      Home - operating from the place where an amateur station is normally established. If the station used in the contest is setup before 8AM local time, it should be considered a home operation. 

      Indoor - operating from inside a building at a temporary location where amateur radio is not normally available, including community centers, etc. If it has a both a permanent roof and walls, it's indoors. 

      Outdoor - operating from remote locations with no permanent building, including campgrounds, tents, RV's, etc. An open-air pavillion with no walls would be considered Outdoor. 

      Band - the normal amateur band allocations recognized by the ITU, i.e. 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters, plus the UHF bands. To be counted as a band, at least 1 valid QSO must have taken place on the band during the contest. 75 meters counts as part of 80 meters. 

      Mode - CW, Phone (including SSB, AM, FM), Digital (including PSK, RTTY, and other soundcard modes), SSTV, satellite. 

      Operator - Any person that operates the radio, keyboard, microphone or CW key, including logging assistance. This does not include non-operators, such as someone who brings food, but does not participate in operating. 

      Miscellaneous:


        a.. - All rules governing amateur radio must be observed throughout. 
        b.. - The decisions of the SPAR BoD is final.