[HIham] New 2005 FD Bonus Points and Rules

[Ron Hashiro]

==>SOME NEW WRINKLES IN 2005 FIELD DAY RULES

Those planning to participate in this year's Field Day will need to bone up
in advance on a few changes in the rules for the ever-popular operating
event. Field Day this year takes place June 25-26. The 2261 Field Day
entries for 2004 were the most ever. While similar in format to a contest,
Field Day is primarily a means to exercise and demonstrate Amateur Radio's
emergency operating capabilities while having fun at the same time. ARRL
Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, says that among other things
rule changes for 2005 expand eligibility for bonus points.

"All groups will be eligible for some kind of bonus points," Henderson said.
"Make sure you carefully read Field Day Rule 7.3." That rule spells out how
to qualify for such bonus points as 100 percent emergency power, media
publicity, message handling, making satellite contacts, using an alternative
power source and copying the W1AW bulletin, among other things. Many bonus
point categories are available to all entry classes.

Henderson notes that some large clubs often compete among themselves to see
who can claim the highest number of transmitters. Under the revised rules,
all transmitters must be on the air with an operator to count toward a
club's entry class. "You have to actually have individual people and
sufficient equipment capable of operating simultaneously," Henderson
emphasized, referencing Rule 4. "The key word there is 'simultaneously.'"

The Field Day exchange consists of the number of transmitters on the air
followed by the participation category (A through F). Operators would send
"3A," for example, for a club or non-club portable setup with three
transmitters on the air at the same time. Rule 4 also specifically prohibits
switching and simulcasting devices.

The 2005 Field Day rules also modify the number of transmitters eligible for
bonus points that a group can claim for its operating class. "You can only
claim the emergency power bonus points for up to 20 transmitters," Henderson
explains. "That's a maximum of 2000 emergency power bonus points." There no
limit on the number of transmitters eligible participants may have on the
air, however. Field Day rules already generally prohibit the use of more
than one transmitter at the same time on a single band-mode.

In addition, Field Day 2005 will introduce a new "Youth Element" bonus
category (Rule 7.3.15). Clubs or groups operating in Class A, C, D, E or F
now can claim 20 bonus points--up to a maximum of 100--for each person aged
18 or younger, who completes a valid Field Day contact. Single-operator
Class B stations can earn a 20-point bonus if the operator is age 18 or
younger. Two-person Class B setups can claim a 20-point bonus for each
operator age 18 or younger, for a maximum of 40 points. The maximum number
of participants for Class B entries remains at two.

Another rule change clarifies that Get On The Air (GOTA)
stations--instituted a few years ago to encourage new or comparatively
inexperienced operators to gain operating practice--use the same exchange as
the "parent" station. The maximum transmitter output power for GOTA stations
is 150 W, and GOTA stations may only operate on the Field Day HF bands.

Free transmitters do not count toward a group's total, and GOTA stations and
free VHF stations for Class A entries do not qualify for bonus point
credits.

Henderson encourages Field Day participants to submit their Field Day
summaries electronically using the Web applet form
<http://www.b4h.net/cabforms>. "You may input your summary information at
that site for a 50-point bonus," Henderson points out.

The Maritime Radio Historical Society's K6KPH, comprised of former operators
of the KPH commercial shore station, now an historic site, again will
augment W1AW Field Day CW and RTTY bulletin transmissions for West Coast
participants.


The complete 2005 Field Day packet now is available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/05-fd-packet.pdf>.