[amsat-bb] Field Day (whew)

[Gary]

I've suggested in the past we move the FM sats to either a net control format (as others have suggested) or perhaps a bonus for copying a satellite bonus message from w1aw or its relays... To emphasize receiving more than transmitting.

Just my thoughts.

73,
Joe kk0sd

-----Original Message-----
From: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org> On Behalf Of Devin L. Ganger
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 6:57 PM
To: JamesDuffey <jamesduffey at comcast.net>; AMSAT-BB at amsat.org
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Field Day (whew)

A couple of questions and observations sparked by your message. Note that I have not yet participated in a Field Day, so I have no pony in this race.

> 1. Field Day is not a contest, it is an activity.

I think this statement right here is the crux of much of the disagreement. While what you have stated is true in the grand spirit of the vision of Field Day, the ARRL has also (as we all now) put out scoring rules for FD QSOs and activities. So FD is *both* an outreach activity *and* a contest, all at once. Most of the concerns raised only address one or the other.
 
> 2. In reference to point 1, logs are not scored or checked by the 
> ARRL, so rules such as only one QSO per FM bird don’t work except for 
> the people who only make one FM QSO per bird. The rule can’t work 
> because it isn’t enforced.

I don't see it as being a set of behavioral rules, but of *scoring* rules, and as such are enforced by peers. They work very well *for their intended purpose* (which I agree is not to keep the satellites from getting jammed up) and no other. In fact, as one of my colleagues in the IT world often says, "There are seldom technological solutions to behavioral problems."
 
> 3. Making more than a single FM QSO per bird but not including them in 
> your scoring does little to help with the mess on the FM birds during Field Day.
> One is still violating the rule and adding to the chaos, perhaps with 
> good intentions, but still...

If you're not scoring a second or third FM QSO, then technically, are you in violation of the rule? Especially where there are good reasons to make those additional QSOs, as previous posters have shared -- helping others make their single scorable FM QSO, etc. -- which are in the spirit of FD as the outreach activity. This is not to endorse camping on the sat from AOS to LOS, of course, but I believe there is room here for *good operators and operational procedure* to meet in the grey area between FD the contest and FD the activity.

--
Devin L. Ganger (WA7DLG)
email: devin at thecabal.org
web: Devin on Earth
cell: +1 425.239.2575
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