[SJRA-Members] Field day rule

Mon Jun 26 20:42:50 EDT 2017

Hi Dick,

Thank you for getting the clarification from Bart on that point.  I think it’s moot but he seemed to think you were alerting us to your frequency and not vise versa.

The “Field Day is not a contest” aspect is what I guess allows FD to color outside the conventional lines in this case.

I found it interesting that he said: “Assistance and spotting and anything else to help support making contacts - especially in the case of emergency communications -is encouraged”.

There would seem to be enough daylight here to allow us to spot ourselves; a practice that is generally frowned upon (except in ARRL VHF contests and maybe some others like EME, etc.).  I guess since it’s not a “contest” we can solicit contacts or advertise ourselves by whatever means we want.  Practices such as these drew a lot of attention recently in a competition sponsored by another organization.

Now that I’m thinking about it, other than the specific Field Day rules, none of the other ARRL rules for “contests” would apply here.

Were FD considered a contest, rule 3.10 of the ARRL General Rules for all ARRL Contests would have applied which was my original concern.

3.10. The use of non-Amateur Radio means of communication (for example, Internet or telephone) to solicit a contact (or contacts) during the contest period is not permitted.

http://www.arrl.org/general-rules-for-all-arrl-contests

http://www.arrl.org/general-rules-for-arrl-contests-below-30-mhz

http://www.arrl.org/general-rules-for-arrl-contests-above-50-mhz

Next year I will text our frequencies to as many of my ham friends operating with other clubs as possible and ask them to come work us or ask them what frequency they’re on so we can work them.  I’ll also post them on FaceBook and anywhere else I can think of.  This will not only help our QSO count, it will qualify for social media bonus points so we’ll get several birds with a single stone.

Personally, I think the league long ago painted themselves into a bit of corner with the “FD is not a contest” thing (and yes, I do realize this goes way, way, way back).  I completely understand that they want to focus on emergency preparedness, community relations, public awareness, and generating new interest in our hobby. Highly worthwhile goals.  However, since there are rules and we do keep score, it is inherently a competition (even if it’s not a “contest”).  If they really wanted to do away with the competitive aspect of it, we should all stop sending in our scores and we’ll just report that we participated in the event.  Not even bonus points because we’re not competing against each other so we don’t even need points.  The whole concept of points would be irrelevant.  Simply; were you involved with Field Day or not?  I wonder how many stations and groups would continue to participate if there was no scoring and no reporting even the number of QSOs.  As I see it, the competitive nature of the “event” is what drives it forward and fuels the great efforts that generate preparedness, PR, awareness, and interest.  Take away the competition and those things will wither and die on their own in short order.

Personally I’d show up mid afternoon on Saturday (weather permitting), put up the simplest antenna I could without breaking a sweat (a 20m dipole draped lazily over some low tree branches probably), bring my HW-8, a battery, headphones, and a straight key.  I’d text a few folks I know and make a couple of easy QSOs just to say I did.  I wouldn’t bother with press releases, generators, AB-577 towers, yagis, solar panels, digital, SSB, inviting any officials, putting up banners, doing anything educational, trying to work satellites, teach anyone anything about radio with a GOTA station, copy any bulletins, generate any traffic messages, or spending weeks, months, and money getting ready.  I’d drink some iced tea, have a hot dog, try not to get hot or dirty, and head home in time to catch the ball game.  Why bother doing any more?  There’d be no points in any of it.  I might not even bother to leave the house if it was over 75.  I wouldn’t get anything out of it.  I wouldn’t be competing against anyone and no one would know or care what else, if anything, I achieved.

On the other hand, they don’t want the contest superstars to come in, blow everyone away, and just turn it into another contest that you operate until: A. Times up  B. The rig or the amp catches fire  C. You pass out or die.  There’s plenty of those already.  That situation would discourage the lesser experienced, less active, and new hams from getting engaged and would be counter to the purposes listed above.

It’s a Catch 22 situation as I see it.

Bob – KE2D

P.S.  Next year text me directly and I’ll send you back our frequencies ASAP.  20m should be a snap to CA.

I probably won’t be stopping to read emails during the FD event, but if my phone buzzes with a text message, I’ll take a quick glance at it.

I’m guessing you’ll be 1D EB.  We’ll be in SNJ as I’m sure you can guess.  Transmitter count for 2018 is TBD.

If you’re not able to copy our exchange, I’ll just text it back to you.  Apparently, there’s nothing in the FD rules that discourages that and contest rules don’t apply.

Bob Beyer – KE2D, cell phone:  609-902-2884 

From: Dick Gaul [mailto:k2gmy at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2017 5:42 PM
To: Bob Beyer; SJRA LIST
Subject: Field day rule

·   <mailto:bob_beyer at verizon.net> Bob Beyer <bob_beyer at verizon.net> 

·  

·  Jun 25 at 6:57 PM

To

·          <mailto:k2gmy at yahoo.com> 'Dick Gaul' 

CC

*	'SJRA LIST'  

Thanks for the interest in our FD Dick.
Don’t forget, aside from some special circumstances and specific contests, coordinating contacts by means other than amateur radio communication is prohibited by ARRL rules.
Since this mailing list goes far and wide to many people who are, or were members of the SJRA, be aware that the appearance of impropriety could in itself become an issue and we would not want to do anything to jeopardize the fantastic effort everyone put in this past weekend.

73,
Bob Beyer - KE2D

Hi 

Thanks for your comments on my e-mail asking for the SSB frequency.

I, too, am concerned that actions of our club members remain above suspicion, so I enlisted the help of our ARRL HQ staff to affirm that my own action was in the spirit of the rules.

Following is the correspondence from them:

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Dick Gaul <k2gmy at yahoo.com>
To: "Jahnke, Bart, W9JJ" <w9jj at arrl.org> 
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2017 2:23 PM
Subject: Re: Field day rule

Hi Bart,

As usual, your quick response and insight are really appreciated.

I feel good that I acted appropriately according to the rules.

I look forward to an eye-ball QSO with you on my next trip back east.

Thanks,

73,

Dick

  _____  

From: "Jahnke, Bart, W9JJ" <w9jj at arrl.org>
To: "k2gmy at yahoo.com" <k2gmy at yahoo.com> 
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2017 2:05 PM
Subject: Re: Field day rule

Hi Dick,

Assistance and spotting and anything else to help support making contacts - especially in the case of emergency communications -is encouraged.

So how you went about alerting them as to where you were or trying to make contact is fair game.

Had you made QSOs with anyone other than the California Club from your home with your home call, you could have submitted a separate log with your home operation. Do be aware of that we only recognize Class A and class F stations for Club credit in the qst listings. .

73 Bart W9JJ

Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Droid

On Jun 26, 2017 4:55 PM, Dick Gaul <k2gmy at yahoo.com> wrote:

Bart Jahnke, W9JJ

ARRL Contest Branch Manager

Hi Bart,

I have a Field Day rule question.

I belong to a club in California, and a club in New Jersey.

I operated the California club station during the Field Day exercise. Then I went home two miles away just before the exercise ended to try to contact my New Jersey club on SSB. I could not hear them, so I sent an e-mail to the club forum to ask what frequency they were operating on SSB. I did not get a response, so I never contacted them on SSB.

If I was in New Jersey, however, I could have asked another club member for that frequency information in-person, on the club repeater, or on the telephone. I don't think it would be against the rules for me to ask for that info from a club member on either the telephone, club repeater, or club forum.

I realize that it has been determined by the League that the ARRL Field Day exercise is NOT a contest; but an event to publicize, practice, and participate in a gathering of radio amateurs, guests, and interested individuals, under unusual and difficult conditions.

But there are special rules for the event, and I wonder if my attempt to contact the other club members was in the spirit of the rules since I was 2500 miles from the club site.

Best regards, 

Dick Gaul - K2GMY