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KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

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Amateur radio in the news: Post Field Day 2022 edition

Posted: 02 Jul 2022 07:13 AM PDT https://www.kb6nu.com/amateur-radio-in-the-news-post-field-day-2022-edition/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email


Its nice to see so many clubs get publicity for their Field Day operations. Here are links to a bunch of them that have passed through my inbox.


What a ham: local group finds joy, utility in amateur radios (Paducah, KY)

Ham radio operators take part in communication, camaraderie and code (Fairmont, WV)


Copperas Cove Repeater Association Holds Summer Field Day (Copperas Cove, TX)


Connecting communities through radio waves (Port Huron, MI)


Ham radio enthusiasts have a field day (Trenton, ME)


Ham radio enthusiasts have a field day (Monte Vista, CO)

Waldo County hams hold annual Field Day for disaster preparedness (Belfast, ME)
Ham radio operators demonstrate a potentially vital source of communication (Houston, TX)
Mesquite Ham Radio Operators Have A Field Day (Mesquite, NV)



Ham radio operators connect in Henrietta (Henrietta, TX)
Locals test radio skills (Bazetta, OH)

Randolph County Amateur Radio Club Takes Part in ARRL Summer Field Day (Randolph County, IN)


NJ Antique Radio Club participates in amateur radio field day (Wall Township, NJ)


Two local groups participate in ARRL Field Day 2022 (Ada, OK)




The post Amateur radio in the news: Post Field Day 2022 edition appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.


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Is Field Day still relevant?

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 01:02 PM PDT https://www.kb6nu.com/is-field-day-still-relevant/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email


I always enjoy Field Day, and this year was no exception.But, as I sat
there, punching call signs into N1MM and watching my log and the logs of
the other networked stations, it occurred to me that there were an awful
lot of 1B, 1D, and 1E stations. Im guessing that the majority of these stations were one-person operations operating from their back porch.

I know that Covid is still an issue, and some hams are just anti-social,
but I think that these folks are really missing out. I mean, its nice to
try something new once in a while, and the first year was fun. I operated completely QRP and battery-powered. The second year, however, was
completely unsatisfying, even though we did manage to cobble together a
small group.
Is Field Day still relevant?

This year was a lot better. Our club was 3A, but even so, attendance was
way down. Noting that, and noting all the single-operator stations, Im beginning to wonder if Field Day is still relevant. Ive always described Field Day as a combination club social event, emergency preparedness exercise, and public relations event. With so many single-operator
stations, its certainly not much of a club event, and I doubt that the 1B, 1D, and 1E ops are doing much public relations.

I suppose that the 1B and 1E stations are exercising some of their
emergency communications capabilities, but a lot of training is now
required to really take part in emergency communications. Im not sure that knowing that your generator is working and how to start it would be all
that valuable in a real emergency situation.

Even with all the 1B, 1D, and 1E stations on the air, it seemed to me that participation was down. At least it was down on CW. After searching and pounding a bit, I had no problem at all finding a clear frequency on which
to start calling CQ.
Should Field Day encourage more VHF/UHF operation?

Another reason that makes me wonder about the relevance of Field Day is
that  operation mostly takes place on HF. Sure, some clubs have VHF/UHF stations, but Id say that those are the exception rather than the rule.
And, since the majority of licensed hams are Techs, how appealing is it for them to come out and participate in Field Day?

Also, most emergency communications now take place on VHF, UHF, and above. How is making rapid-fire CW contacts on 80 meters training people to be better at emergency communications?

I mentioned this to my friend Mark, W8MP, who happened to wander into the
CW station while I was pondering this idea. He said, Well, at least this is getting people on the air. Thats true, I guess, but there are all manner of contests and operating events that get people on the air.

Im not exactly sure what we can do to increase Field Day participation, but here are a couple of ideas:

Give more points to VHF/UHF and up QSOs to encourage more operation on
those bands.
Require every club operation to have a GOTA station, or give more points to GOTA contacts. It seems to me that GOTA stations are one of the really good things about Field Day and it should be promoted more.
Give points for activities specifically directed at Tech licensees. Im not sure what that would be, though.


Im certainly interested in hearing what you think about this? Am I off base here? If not, how would you make Field Day more relevant to the situation that amateur radio finds itself in these days.

The post Is Field Day still relevant? appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.


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