[WIARC] Field Day changes

[n9jfcountyhunter at gmail.com]

Field Day is a month away, but I hope you are planning to participate.
There will be NO "in person gathering"  for WIARC (or HARC, I'm assuming)
for Field Day in 2020.  However, individual stations are encouraged to get
on the air.  Here are some recent changes to rules that will significantly
impact the event:  (73, Jim N9JF)

Temporary Rule Waivers Announced for 2020 ARRL Field Day
05/28/2020
With one month to go before 2020 ARRL Field Day, June 27 - 28, the ARRL
Programs and Services Committee (PSC) has adopted two temporary rule waivers
for the event:

1)      For Field Day 2020 only, Class D stations may work all other Field
Day stations, including other Class D stations, for points.

Field Day rule 4.6 defines Class D stations as "Home stations," including
stations operating from permanent or licensed station locations using
commercial power. Class D stations ordinarily may only count contacts made
with Class A, B, C, E, and F Field Day stations, but the temporary rule
waiver for 2020 allows Class D stations to count contacts with other Class D
stations for QSO credit.

2)      In addition, for 2020 only, an aggregate club score will be
published, which will be the sum of all individual entries indicating a
specific club (similar to the aggregate score totals used in ARRL affiliated
club competitions).

Ordinarily, club names are only published in the results for Class A and
Class F entries, but the temporary rule waiver for 2020 allows participants
from any Class to optionally include a single club name with their submitted
results following Field Day.
For example, if Podunk Hollow Radio Club members Becky, W1BXY, and Hiram,
W1AW, both participate in 2020 Field Day - Hiram from his Class D home
station, and Becky from her Class C mobile station - both can include the
radio club's name when reporting their individual results. The published
results listing will include individual scores for Hiram and Becky, plus a
combined score for all entries identified as Podunk Hollow Radio Club.
The temporary rule waivers were adopted by the PSC on May 27, 2020.
ARRL Field Day is one of the biggest events on the amateur radio calendar,
with over 36,000 participants in 2019, including entries from 3,113 radio
clubs and emergency operations centers. In most years, Field Day is also the
largest annual demonstration of ham radio, because many radio clubs organize
their participation in public places such as parks and schools.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many radio clubs have made decisions to cancel
their group participation in ARRL Field Day this year due to public health
recommendations and/or requirements, or to significantly modify their
participation for safe social distancing practices. The temporary rule
waivers allow greater flexibility in recognizing the value of individual and
club participation regardless of entry class.
ARRL is contacting logging program developers about the temporary rule
waivers so developers can release updated versions of their software prior
to Field Day weekend. Participants are reminded that the preferred method of
submitting entries after Field Day is via the web applet. The ARRL Field Day
rules include instructions for submitting entries after the event. Entries
must be submitted or postmarked by Tuesday, July 28, 2020.
The ARRL Field Day web page includes a series of articles with ideas and
advice for adapting participation this year.