Summer VHF Field Day 2013 - 12/13 Jan

[VK3QI]

Hi,

To quote from the Winter Field Day Report of 2009 by John Martin:

"SPRING VHF-UHF FIELD DAY
This year, ballots were taken on the VK-VHF email reflector and the VK Logger, to find the most popular date for the
next Spring Field Day. The clear winner was the last weekend in November. See you then."

I find it somewhat amusing that in the past, John has been accused of not taking the views of others into account regarding the VHF/UHF Field Days.

and that this is a classic case of people's opinions changing over time, or rather the views of others who were not involved at an earlier time wanting changes to suit them.

The principal reason for moving the Spring FD closer to the end of November and keeping the Summer FD to the third full weekend in January was to increase the chance of Sporadic E openings around the Summer solstice.

Certainly hot weather and bushfires has taken it toll on this Summer's FD, but it was only 2 years ago when the Summer FD was almost washed out in Victoria and Queensland on the same weekend, as this year!

From past experience, February is generally considered to have less favourable weather outcomes over most parts of Australia - a fully established wet season in the north of Australia and greatest chance of bushfires in the southern states.

Cheers

Peter VK3QI (VK3ER/p)

[vk1da]

The jmmfd was moved from Feb to March to avoid the wet weather in the north. I was at a WIA federal convention in the late 70s or early 80s when the vk4 delegate, with tongue in cheek, requested that the field day be moved to a weekend when it was not raining! The point was taken and it did get moved to march.

In a country with a sparse population and big distances for VHF contacts it is impossible to satisfy everyone. A compromise gives the largest number of operators a chance to enjoy the event.

In the UK they have a cumulative type of event with a series of dates throughout the warmer months with the entrants able to submit logs from their best weekends. This allows people to operate in any, some or all depending on their availability.

They also have triple our population in an area that would almost fit into Victoria (haven't checked, figure of speech, don't take it literally, ymmv). And numerous foreign countries over the pond by a distance much smaller in parts than Bass strait.




Andrew Davis VK1DA & VK2UH
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[VK2GOM]

In the UK... cumulative type of event with a series of dates throughout the warmer months...

No such thing! Warmer hours, perhaps. Or not as cold!(and the UK doesn't have a climate - it changes every 5mins).

It was certainly hot here on the Summer F/D date, but I didn't venture out due to antenna issues.

However, I do plan to have 2m, 70cm and 23cm with Yagis on each band for the Winter F/D. I have my work cut out to build the 70cm and 23cm Yagis by then, and I will be obtaining a commercial telescopic mast soon, rather than trying to transport a 5m Aluminium pole on the 4x4 roof rack.

73 - Rob VK2GOM / GW0MOH

[vk1da]

Haha yes Rob you are better qualified than I to comment on the UK weather.

The concept of a cumulative event run over a series of weekends on whatever weather is dished out, is the concept I was striving to point out.


Andrew Davis VK1DA & VK2UH
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[VK4XA]

Based on my (somewhat limited) experience of propagation in far northern VK4 (I've only lived here for 20 years and been an amateur up here for 7) pick any date in January or February it wont matter to us up here, propagation on 6m, 2m and 70cm is going to be crappy.

Not to mention the weather, January and February are traditionally our wettest months of the year and we usually getting menaced by a cyclone or two at that time.
So the Summer Field Day is just not an option for us and we would welcome it being dropped entirely.

The Winter Field Day is much better for us weather wise as its in our dry season but propagation is traditionally lousy, hence our (TREC's) participation only in the Spring Field Days.

The Spring Field Day's moving to the last week in November worked well for us here up north, we have pretty decent weather at that time of year and it brought us closer to the time that the 6M band opens up for us (Usually very late November and more likely to be early December) and it gives a fighting chance on 2M as well, due to it being the best time of the year for that band too.
70cm for most of us here is a dead loss at pretty much any time, the distances and the terrain just don't work in that bands favour at all up here save for a bit of ducting on the coast.
In fact, with the exception of a very few (2 amateurs I believe), no-one up here has any 70cm SSB gear, we have a 70cm FM repeater on the Tablelands but it is under utilised due to the terrain not being conducive to 70cm operation.

[VK3ALB]

The results are out and well done to everyone who participated. It's very pleasing to see so many Geelong operators in the results and especially pleasing to hear the three Geelong foundation licensees going flat out all weekend.