2014 Winter Field Day

[VK4TS]

Regardless of the scoring regime - the fact remains that in most of Australia, VHF UHF Contest weekends are boring.

We need ways to invigorate activity - from South East Queensland as an example - we need clubs and operators in places like Armidale, Tamworth, Narrabri, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Hervey Bay, Rockhampton, Dalby, Toowoomba to be active. That formula probably exists over most of Australia.

We need individual operators of Multi Op stations to be able to operate under their own call-signs - giving the opportunity for many more contacts - for example VK4CZ, VK4WIB and VK4WIS

VK4WIS VK4ALH, VK4LHD, VK4IMH, VK4FAAR, VK4TS, VK4SN & VK4FMGF
VK4CZ VK4CZ, VK4UH & VK4YJV
VK4WIE VK4CRO, VK4MJF, VK4PI & VK4MIL

In other words where VK4CZ contacted two other stations per hour there were actually options to contact 13 Stations per hour per band...this (subject to licences) makes for a much more busy time.

[VK3YFL]

I rarely post on Forums whether Amateur Radio or other, but I've got to say stop bagging

the same people
go to the same spots
time after time

because at least we are participating.

I make no excuse for being boring. Indeed I've been going to the same spot for many years, but if you have taken notice of the photos I've posted after each event you will see my station has undergone significant development over that time. That's where I get the enjoyment from and in the process been able to provide contacts with other station on new bands.

What is required is promotional activities in conjunction with rule changes if necessary, to increase participation by having new stations go into the field to provide this apparently much sought variety.

Bryon
VK3YFL

[VK2ZRH]

Everybody's correct!

Only, (to paraphrase George Orwell, in Animal Farm) "some are more correct than others"!

[VK2JDH]

You can please all of the hams some of the time,
You can please some of the hams all of the time,
You can not please all of the hams all of the time.

[VK2AAH]

You forgot one:

You WILL p!ss some hams off every time.


Richard
VK2AAH

[VK4GHZ]

VK4WIS VK4ALH, VK4LHD, VK4IMH, VK4FAAR, VK4TS, VK4SN & VK4FMGF

When you consider another point of view, is this mega-operator station philosophy a good idea?
Instead of 7 individual station all operating independently from 7 different locations, there is only one.

Line the gear up in that one direction, then lock it off, while the mic gets passed around.
Great for artificially boosting scores, but from a technical point of view, not much of a challenge.
(VHF and above crowd generally find technical challenges more engaging.)

If you're concerned about filling in time and keeping it interesting, wouldn't having to re-establish with stations in other directions/locations do this better?

Time for some numbers.
Statistics are good!
Statistics don't get all huffy & puffy and emotional, like people do.

This is a breakdown of logs submitted.
Although self explanatory, the common Div submissions have been highlighted for a reason.



Firstly, I agree with Trent. (must be time for a lie down)
What happened to all the distance based scoring proponents???
Did they all run away and hide?
All talk, no action?

Excuses aside, this does not correlate with Andrew's survey results at all.


Looking at the numbers, 33/55 = 60% of logs submitted were common to both Divisions (the highlighted rows).

As we can see, Division specific logs were both around 80% of all submissions.
Only a 1.8% swing either side of nominal... nothing to speak of.
Quite an even mix!

Early days, but from this we can gather 80% of participants are apathetic (there's that word again) to scoring, and are participating for the technical operation itself.
If over time that proves to be the case, then tinkering with multipliers etc may not achieve the result hoped for.

Winter FD has always suffered from low participation, so the next Summer FD should offer a more interesting "postmortem".


... and then you have the crowd who are too lazy to spend 10 minutes to submit a log ... which only adds to this perception of "low activity, so why bother".
And around in diminishing circles the hams go.

[VK2MAX]

i have been particapating in field days since 1999 ..with club members for a couple of years then they decided it was to hard ..( they where getting on in age) so it was left to just 2 vk2if scott vk2max me.. the 2 youngest members.. nothing better than getting up in the hills and setting gear up..that lasted for a few years until scott had kids and commitments so that left me vk2max.. the rest is history and iam there as often as possible ..weather permitting... giving out numbers and having a good time.. i have built my gear up from only having 2 and 70 ssb in the beginning to 6 2 70 23 and 2.4 and it is hard work getting every thing up and operating by my self.. i seem to make changes every field day ..doesnt every body??.. i must confess i have never put a log in .. sorry adam always paper log and at the end i cant uder stand what i wrote..but i have always enjoyed being on top of the "same hill" close to home and easy to get too.. i still manage to get over 100 contacts plus every outing. and that gives the vk4s there furtherest qso grid .. and i think i have usded up my 30 characters so thats it from me.. until the summer field on the same hill speaking to the same blokes in the same places it does worry me just get out there and have a go and dont forget to beam south grant vk2max

[VK3MY]

Well I think everyone is missing the point.

Isn't it all about getting out and about and having a bit of fun doing it, as for me work commitments do not allow me to go in
the field and sit on top of a hill somewhere, otherwise I would.

I don't know about anyone else but I have spent substantial money on transverters for 3/5/10 and 24Ghz, not to mention the
radios, antennas and cable for the other bands, I don't care if I win or come last, I don't care if I work the same people over and over, I don't care you lot are bitching
about everything known to man, who gives a stuff, get out and have some fun.

My sole purpose for competing is HAVING FUN, as Byron will remember how I was with my first decent contact on 10Gig's, bloody amazed
and it made me get into it further, spend more money for more bands, and go for longer distances.

I appreciate all those who take the time to go and sit on top of a hill and work this little home station, no matter what the conditions are, change ya rules,
have a bitch, change em again and I'll still be there working the same people or not.

ITS ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN, and I do it really well.

Slim
about to be shot down in flames, yet again.

[VK3PY]

A few comments on recent postings, in no particular order, just to give some context to my own postings:

1. I operate with a small group (VK3UHF) in the summer & winter events. We go to the same QTH and do the same things, and it's great fun (why else would we keep doing it?). Most of our REAL activity takes place in our bat caves over the winter months, improving (we hope) and developing our portable equipment. More bands, better equipment and antennas, new ideas etc. Just like Bryon VK3YFL alluded to above. Our field day station is never quite the same in any two consecutive events. We've been doing this since the very first VHF-UHF FD in 1989.

2. "Winning" is not our goal, though admittedly, we've been pretty successful over the years. Participation, and in particular, the tantalising possibility of working long distances and new grids from an advantageous location has been the main motivation (making VK3ER squirm has been the icing on the cake, but of recent years, the shoe has been on the other foot!). We often devote operating time to assist a "rival" station in making a contact - generally by way of alerting both parties to each others' presence. We will continue to participate, regardless of whatever rules apply.

3. Our club usually fields two full-blown stations with equipment from 50MHz to 24GHz. It is not unusual for our club to field as many as four complete stations equipped to 10GHz in these events, as well as several home stations (mostly F-calls, ironically) and a rover or two. Good for our club, good for the contest and good for all participants. We can't ALL win, but we can try to improve on our previous scores in the same event. The culture at our club (no, not Boy George & Co.) is to go out and do, not sit around and moan. We really look forward to these events.

Chas
VK3PY

[VK3MIX]

I am not sure what all the bitching is about, I did the HA Contest on my own at our local clubroom this year, mind you I had the equipment fail on me and in the last 10-15mins of this short contest I managed to find the fault and pulled off about 10 or so contacts in total. Was it disappointing? Maybe so but I had a go and made some contacts. Was it worth submitting my log? Probably not, but I did anyway.

There is no fun if it is all about winning. Make some contacts, submit your logs regardless how poor you probably think they are. For the first time in my ham radio life, I did the 24-hour section of the Spring VHF/UHF Contest last year with another operator. We only had 6,2,70 & 23 with nothing special and even tho we didn't stay up all night, we actually managed to win our section which we never expected in the first place. We just went up for a bit of fun, at the end of the day at least we can say we took part in the contest regardless whether it was for the win or not.

[VK3ALB]

Now we're getting somewhere and it kinda looks like Adam might have finally hit the nail on the head - who gives a large rodents behind about the score. I've been going to the same place with the same people talking to the same people on the same bands since 2009.

Those people are my friends and family and those places are a great weekend away and we operate on those bands with stuff that mostly doesn't come out of a shop. Every field day has been an improvement on the last either in the number of contacts or bands activated, or equipment built or included in the station new contacts into new grids, or working +300km on microwaves, or working rain scatter over an impassable hill, or standing in garbage bags in a gale trying to keep the equipment dry while others were trying to make that elusive contact. Along the way we made some really good scores and in some rare cases took out our section. In all cases, the fun out lasts the results by a country mile.

I remember our first 10GHz contact, our first contacts on 10GHz with Bryon and Gavin, finally working Colin at home on 10GHz from our new location, my kids making microwave contacts with the best of them, etc, etc, etc. No idea how much it cost per contact or how much money has gone into it in total but it sure is STILL a bucket load of fun to work the same friends we do every field day.

There's the excitement and encouragement - try and get that feeling of excitement into someone that might be interested and you'll get growth. Whilst a certificate and a good score is always pleasing to receive I don't think that in itself is enough to encourage participation.

Move over Ross, let me get near the fire.

[VK3BQ]

adam, the operator of vk3er (who is vk3nd) worked fm 2/70 at the club as vk3er, then went home and continued as vk3nd, he was told to submit to both sections, but he didn't realise one email of scores would not be enough, he has been Dealt with and won't do it again (balilango state forest).. so your results are a little skewed by his insolence.

for every one else, yes I have fun, i have very young kids, and no ability to install the beams lying against the side of the house at this location, thus only use my little tri band vertical, and work really hard to get up the contacts/numbers with such a pathetic station, what i don't manage with distance i try and overcome with volume. but the amount of separate calls worked is reducing.. people forget, its not JUST a ssb contest?

worse is the clubs who seem to organise their own on ODD frequencies and only work those who they know, quickly going quiet when someone else calls? but thats always been the case.

its frustrating that some seem to put very little emphasis into the low point bands, preferring the microwave contacts with the rest as an afterthought, is that reducing the entry operator interest? why bother with a 50km fm contact on 2m if one microwave contact with some effort will score more points than all of the 2m result?

is that causing the newer person with half an interest to try and not seem to generate any/low activity, turn the gear off and never come back??..

I'm sure some think, that new person should buy beams and microwave gear and just do the expensive higher bands stuff, but is that achievable for everyone? 10-15 years ago, 2/70 was the norm, 23 and 10ghz exotic. so has it truly become a microwave contest? do we drop 6/2/70? since they appear to not be worth the effort of some? or split the events, have a 6-2-70-23 weekend, and a separate 23 and up weekend? maybe its my issue for not spending enough money yet?

or do we give more points to FM contacts? that would give the lesser (investment) stations an incentive to pop up on air, most people have fm boxes on 2/70! or is that not pushing the DX boundaries?

[VK3BQ]

Just to reiterate. I feel It's about continuing to engage and encourage new participants.

Everyone starts somewhere.

Unless they are not welcome?

And then it's just a couple of mates on a couple of hills talking to each other on microwave bands!

If you don't agree. Tell me why

[VK3MY]

I think this post really should come to a end, it's had it's day.

It stikes me a little strange that all the unhapper campers, bitching and just poor conduct is coming from everywhere else other than VK3.

If you lot are not happy with the amount of stations operating on the field days in your local area then you should all move on down to VK3,
it's abundant with operators on nearly all the field days and i'm sure you'll work a lot more stations than you are currently working.

The simple facts are, VK3 is the place to be in the field days, more stations, more out and about on top of hills and more fun to be had.

Just my thoughts, that is all................

Slim

[VK4TS]

Firstly, I agree with Trent. (must be time for a lie down)
What happened to all the distance based scoring proponents???
Did they all run away and hide?
All talk, no action?

Excuses aside, this does not correlate with Andrew's survey results at all.

Sadly Adam - this does equate to what John Martin said in his multiple reports -

"Two main conclusions can be drawn.
Of those amateurs (approximately 465) who have sent in logs over the past five years:
The survey represents the views of around 20 per cent.
It does not represent the view of around 349 amateurs, or 80 per cent.
The number of amateurs voting for a change in the scoring system amounts to around 12 per cent.
The remaining 88 per cent have not expressed a complaint."

this report found at http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/vhfuhf/ under the PDF file titled VHF-UHF Field Day Scoring

This is what the WIA board chose to ignore - they also chose to ignore the manager appointed, the committee that they set up to run the contests and listened to the vocal minority rather than the silent majority - which in this case is 88% -

But that is a mute point.

At this point we should trying to focus on how we get more people on air for the fantastic spring extravaganza run by a new contest manager -

[VK2GOM]

Sounds very much like it's all coming neatly back to 'why not have a 2m only field day' again

2m is a band virtually ALL radio hams have, in some mode or another.

It makes sense to run a field day on a band everyone has got. Or is that too logical for VK?

Fire away

73 - Rob VK2GOM/ GW0MOH

[VK4TS]

Wrong again.....the most contest activity was on 70cm...

[VK5ZD]

Wrong again.....the most contest activity was on 70cm...

How do you arrive at that conclusion?
The published results don't show the number of QSOs on each band, just the total score. If you convert the scores back to distance (score divided by multiplier), then the total distances worked on 2m are all significantly greater than those for 70cm. This suggests that 2m was the most popular band.

On another matter, the published results for the 'Top Scoring Stations Four Bands Only' appear to be incorrect. The stations shown have the highest scores for 6m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm. However, the rules said 'Top scorers in A to F for operators using any four bands'. The results for 'Top scorers in A to F for operators using 2 m and 70 cm' have been omitted entirely.

[VK4TS]

Perhaps I interpreted the results differently. I would have thought that distance contacted was not a measure of activity rather the number of people contacted would have been the measure. Regardless the Spring one will be here before we know it.

[VK3ZAZ]

because at least we are participating.

I make no excuse for being boring. Indeed I've been going to the same spot for many years, but if you have taken notice of the photos I've posted after each event you will see my station has undergone significant development over that time. That's where I get the enjoyment from and in the process been able to provide contacts with other station on new bands.

What is required is promotional activities in conjunction with rule changes if necessary, to increase participation by having new stations go into the field to provide this apparently much sought variety.

Bryon
VK3YFL[/quote]

Your not boring Bryon, these guys dont realise how far we go back doing this stuff like 40 years with varactor triplers on 432 and OSCAR qsos on 432 long before these guys were born.

The comments above are all Q centric about the magic grid sq QG62 which bores me to tears..
So motivated that it takes the S/E SERG guys to go there and break the records LOL.
8 degrees here not even within cooee of any radio gear all turned off and grounded

Just bought a 1969 Corona 1600S project restore, far better than freezing bum off in shack watching for same old same olds on 2 and 432 working same old distances at same old times of the day.

2 c