DMRAA & ARTS Field Day Made Easy

Why? Food Camaraderie and friendship Chance to try different radios Knowledge building and learning new skills Recruiting new hams and new club members Challenge of operating in abnormal situations and in less than ideal conditions Contest/competition Media exposure FUN!

Food

Camaraderie and friendship

Chance to try different radios

Knowledge building and learning new skills

Recruiting new hams and new club members

Challenge of operating in abnormal situations and in less than ideal conditions

Contest/competition

Media exposure

FUN!

When? June 27-28, 2009 (Always the 4 th full weekend of June) Setup Starts Saturday at 9:00am Potluck Saturday at 5:00pm Donuts and Coffee Sunday starting 7-8am Tear Down Sunday at 1:00pm Where? Jolly Boat Shelter Big Creek State Park GPS: 41.80887, -93.74403 Talk-in: 147.075 tone 114.8

We have had Field Day events for years, why take up a club meeting? Many profess no interest in operating radio on Field Day, but in reality they’re reluctant to participate because of: “ Mike fright” Unfamiliarity with contesting procedures Unfamiliarity with the logging software No experience on HF

Many profess no interest in operating radio on Field Day, but in reality they’re reluctant to participate because of:

“ Mike fright”

Unfamiliarity with contesting procedures

Unfamiliarity with the logging software

No experience on HF

Field Day Objectives Contact as many other stations as possible All amateur bands (excluding 60, 30, 17, and 12 meter bands) Learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Demonstrate amateur radio to the general public that visits the Field Day site. Media exposure

Contact as many other stations as possible

All amateur bands (excluding 60, 30, 17, and 12 meter bands)

Learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions.

Demonstrate amateur radio to the general public that visits the Field Day site.

Media exposure

GOTA (“Get On The Air”) Station More opportunities to operate. Doesn’t change our entry class. Must use a different call sign. W0SCI Open to newly licensed, inactive hams and the non-licensed public (with control operator). Control operator must be present if operating beyond license class privileges of the operator.

More opportunities to operate.

Doesn’t change our entry class.

Must use a different call sign.

W0SCI

Open to newly licensed, inactive hams and the non-licensed public (with control operator).

Control operator must be present if operating beyond license class privileges of the operator.

Rules/Limitations Work each station once per band/mode (CW, SSB, and Digital). No repeater contacts. No 146.520 contacts. One transmitter per band/mode. To avoid interference: One transmitter per band. Contacts between the Field Day station and an individual participant of that station are not valid.

Work each station once per band/mode (CW, SSB, and Digital).

No repeater contacts.

No 146.520 contacts.

One transmitter per band/mode.

To avoid interference: One transmitter per band.

Contacts between the Field Day station and an individual participant of that station are not valid.

FCC Rules Unlicensed persons may participate, but a control operator is required at the control point. If you are participating on a frequency where your license class does not have privileges, there must be a control operator with those privileges at the control point. Third Party communications Without a list of Countries that have a third party agreements with the US, it may be best to limit third party contacts to US and Canadian stations. Loud DX is not a common Field Day problem. Just be aware of the issue.

Unlicensed persons may participate, but a control operator is required at the control point.

If you are participating on a frequency where your license class does not have privileges, there must be a control operator with those privileges at the control point.

Third Party communications

Without a list of Countries that have a third party agreements with the US, it may be best to limit third party contacts to US and Canadian stations.

Loud DX is not a common Field Day problem. Just be aware of the issue.

The Field Day “Exchange” In order to make a valid contact, the information to be exchanged and logged consists of: The number of transmitters at your site: 2 Does not include the GOTA station Class of operation: A ARRL Section: Iowa Examples On CW/Digital: “2A IA” On phone: “Two Alpha, Iowa”

In order to make a valid contact, the information to be exchanged and logged consists of:

The number of transmitters at your site: 2

Does not include the GOTA station

Class of operation: A

ARRL Section: Iowa

Examples

On CW/Digital: “2A IA”

On phone: “Two Alpha, Iowa”

Classes Class A – Portable, a group of 3 or more, 100% Emergency Power Class B – Portable, 1 or 2 persons, 100% Emergency Power Class C – Mobile stations Class D – Home Stations, Commercial Power Class E – Home Stations, Emergency Power Class F – Emergency Operations Centers

Class A – Portable, a group of 3 or more, 100% Emergency Power

Class B – Portable, 1 or 2 persons, 100% Emergency Power

Class C – Mobile stations

Class D – Home Stations, Commercial Power

Class E – Home Stations, Emergency Power

Class F – Emergency Operations Centers

ARRL Section? You Mean State, Right? 71 ARRL Sections + 9 CRRL Sections Most states/provinces are their own section. Some are into two or more sections: NJ: 2 TX: 3 NY: 4 CA: 9 Use the logging software to show you the correct abbreviation. (More on this later)

71 ARRL Sections + 9 CRRL Sections

Most states/provinces are their own section.

Some are into two or more sections:

NJ: 2

TX: 3

NY: 4

CA: 9

Use the logging software to show you the correct abbreviation. (More on this later)

Two Basic Strategies for making contacts: Search and Pounce Tune the band looking for stations who are calling CQ and answering them. Staying on a frequency calling CQ and waiting for stations to answer you.

Search and Pounce

Tune the band looking for stations who are calling CQ and answering them.

Staying on a frequency calling CQ and waiting for stations to answer you.

Structure for the Contact CQ Station: CQ Field Day, CQ Field Day, W1AW Whiskey One Alpha Whiskey S&P Station: Whiskey Zero Alpha Kilo CQ Station: W0AK Three Foxtrot Connecticut S&P Station: QSL Two Alpha Iowa CQ Station: Thanks. Whiskey One Alpha Whiskey The CQ Station always gives his/her exchange first and the S&P Station doesn’t give his/her exchange until he/she has copied the CQ Station’s complete exchange and received any needed fills.

CQ Station: CQ Field Day, CQ Field Day, W1AW Whiskey One Alpha Whiskey

S&P Station: Whiskey Zero Alpha Kilo

CQ Station: W0AK Three Foxtrot Connecticut

S&P Station: QSL Two Alpha Iowa

CQ Station: Thanks. Whiskey One Alpha Whiskey

The CQ Station always gives his/her exchange first and the S&P Station doesn’t give his/her exchange until he/she has copied the CQ Station’s complete exchange and received any needed fills.

Other Do’s and Don’ts DO ask for repeats/fills of the exchange, if needed. DON’T repeat what you think you copied and ask if it is correct. DON’T clutter the exchange with unneeded words “ Please Copy” Operator name Weather DO use standard ITU Phonetics

DO ask for repeats/fills of the exchange, if needed.

DON’T repeat what you think you copied and ask if it is correct.

DON’T clutter the exchange with unneeded words

“ Please Copy”

Operator name

Weather

DO use standard ITU Phonetics

ITU Phonetics Alpha Hotel Oscar Victor Bravo India Papa Whisky Charlie Juliet Quebec X-ray Delta Kilo Romeo Yankee Echo Lima Sierra Zulu Foxtrot Mike Tango Golf November Uniform

Logging Software We will be using N1MM Logger http://www.n1mm.com Its Free! Interfaces to most ham rigs. Easy to use. Conforms to most Windows User Interface practices. Supports CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK!

We will be using N1MM Logger

http://www.n1mm.com

Its Free!

Interfaces to most ham rigs.

Easy to use. Conforms to most Windows User Interface practices.

Supports CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK!

Type Callsign then <Space bar> Good for a contact!

Exchange: One Echo Eastern Massachessetts Type: 1E <Space Bar> EMA Click the Log It button or press the Enter key to log/save.

K1TTT now shows in the Log Window

Example: A station worked previously on a different band or mode. The Exchange is already filled in from the previous contact Previous Contacts are shown Good for a contact!

Example: A station worked previously. Callsign in grey indicates invalid contact. Dupe! Indicates the call would not be a valid contact. Previous Contacts are shown

Example: Correcting a mistake Double Click the callsign in the log window. The information can then be corrected in the entry window. Hit enter to save the changes.

After the correction…

Questions? Bullet “The Field Day Dog”

Audience Participation Alpha Hotel Oscar Victor Bravo India Papa Whisky Charlie Juliet Quebec X-ray Delta Kilo Romeo Yankee Echo Lima Sierra Zulu Foxtrot Mike Tango Golf November Uniform

When? June 27-28, 2009 (Always the 4 th full weekend of June) Setup Starts Saturday at 9:00am Potluck Saturday at 5:00pm Donuts and Coffee Sunday starting 7-8am Tear Down Sunday at 1:00pm Where? Jolly Boat Shelter Big Creek State Park GPS: 41.80887, -93.74403 Talk-in: 147.075 tone 114.8

Credits Thanks to Steven Katz, N8WL Author of NARA/COOKEN FD Made Easy workshop DMRAA/ARTS Field Day Committee

Thanks to

Steven Katz, N8WL

Author of NARA/COOKEN FD Made Easy workshop

DMRAA/ARTS Field Day Committee