Lee and others:
A few thoughts based on our past weekend's 2F operation at KS1R/N1TRC.
See below.
73,
Steve Kercel
AA4AK
At 07:59 PM 6/29/2008, Lee Buller wrote:
I've been reading on the FD comments and would like to make a couple
of points and post some opinion.
FD is not a contest....it is an operating event. True! ARRL has
said this for years. I don't think the League even likes to rank
station that participate as to who made how many points. If FD
allowed multipliers (rather than mode points) then we would have a
contest. (I would like to see it run like NAQP...now that would be
a fun contest!)
**********
ARRL lists FD in the contest section and publish the scores in QST.
As Worf the mighty Klingon warrior says, if winning does not matter
why keep score?
Oddly, even though the event does not have multipliers, many of our
contacts were very grateful our giving them the somewhat hard to work
state of Maine.
With the GOTA, public information, extra points for training class,
visiting politicians and so on, it is primarily an educational
activity. I do note that you mention that below.
**********
FD rules are so loose you can change your class at anytime.
****************
Only in the sense of increasing the number of rigs. If you ever had
three (non GOTA non extra VHF) rigs transmitting simultaneously, you
cannot later shut one down and go from a class 3 to a class 2 event.
(Well, I suppose you could if you do not report the QSOs you make
with the rig that got shut down.)
****************
FD is to test equipment is rather harsh conditions. I am sorry to
hear that at least one K3 died. It would be interesting to know why.
***************
Certainly
***************
FD is to show off your new rig (read here K3).
FD is about (for the most part) modest antennas and weak
signals. (Unless you are me and decided that air conditioning and
the lack of bugs were more important this year) It would be
interesting to see how many vertical and dipole antennas were used
this year. I know some clubs put up beams and towers, but in a
"real" world situation, I found that a dipole hung on the local
school's flag pole is about all you can do in the dark and it works fine.
****************
Wire antennas are fully adequate
****************
FD is about how to put several transmitters in a 1000 foot circle
and making it all work. I've never been to a 22A, but I bet that is
interesting on HF.
*********************
How do they do that?
*********************
FD is about bad or poor power.
FD is about cooperation with other hams and learning from mistakes
in the event of a "real" disaster.
*************
Amen! This is the third year in a row that we've run a 2F operation
from the local Red Cross Chapter House. It is amazing how much more
cohesive the team is now than it was 2 years ago. As many things go
wrong as ever, but we deal with them much more efficiently now.
*************
FD is about training (both in technical and operating) skills.
***************
and enlightening the public, politicians and served agency officials.
***************
FD is about bad or good food depending on who is catering the
event. I've had both, and the K3 can't improve that at all. Hey
Wayne and Eric, put a good MENU in the K3...would you? KC Strip
Steak, baked potatoes, green beans, a nice slice of pie, and a "cold
one" in the menus. That would be CONFIG>KC S>BP>GrnB>IR2>807
*************
Our club President is an outstanding BBQ chef.
*************
FD operation tests the "metal" of both rigs and operators.
Final Thought: The hardest part of FD is unloading the vehicle when
you get home and putting all the equipment away when your bone
weary, bug bitten, sun burnt to a crisp, heartily hungry, and ticked
off at all the operators who failed to learn anything. Then you
realize you got to go to work tomorrow!
***************
I noticed much the same except that all our ops learned something.
***************
Lee - K0WA
In our day and age it seems that Common Sense is in short
supply. If you don't have any Common Sense - get some Common Sense
and use it. If you can't find any Common Sense, ask for help from
somebody who has some Common Sense. Is Common Sense divine?
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