Contesting: Love it or hate it

[N0IU]

The what should be the primary activity when operating a Field Day station?

Tweaking your skills as a operator...

This sounds a bit vague and ambiguous, doesn't it? What exactly does "tweaking your skills" mean? If it means that we should try and improve our operating skills, this should be a lifelong pursuit for every amateur radio operator, not just something to do one weekend a year.

...trying new power source/ antenna options, exploring the use of ropes, jute cord and other materials to erect antennas as well as safe generator practice, and even how to operate a field station if inclement weather occurs.
Then after you cover some of those aspects, you can play radio and rack up your contacts.

Of course we all know that Field Day is an emergency preparedness exercise. Your source of power, your choice of antennas (and what materials will be used to support them), what kind of shelter you will have so you can operate in inclement weather are all things that should be determined well in advance of Field Day. Field Day is not a time for experimentation. You have 51 weeks for that. Field Day is the time to put a plan into action. When the clock strikes the hour to begin Field Day operations, you should be ready to "play radio". If not, you are not prepared!

I would say that most of these "contest-sytle" Field Day operations have done just that... prepared well in advance. Their underlying objective is to maximize every hour of the event.

They came into Field Day knowing what kind of antennas they would be using for each band and whether they were going to use a natural material or man-made material to support their antennas.

They came into Field Day knowing how much power they would need to run their stations and determined if they were going to use batteries, generators or a combination of sources.

They knew how many tents (or some other type of shelter) they would need and had them set up before the event began.

And the list goes on and on...

It's disturbing to me that too many amateur radio ops have forgotten what a real field station teaches, and it has little to do with contests....

Its all about planning and being prepared. Being able to make as many contacts as possible is proof that you planned well.

 

[902]

Its all about planning and being prepared. Being able to make as many contacts as possible is proof that you planned well.

You know, I kind of disagree. Preparedness is part of it, but not how you've painted it. Amassing a station at home is of little comfort if you are in a mandatory evacuation zone. It's not how many contacts you make. It's more about being able to establish and maintain communication under austere conditions with limited resources. If I had it my way, I'd disqualify the kW/TH7DXX/SteppIR stations and just use wire antennas at 150 W max. That would certainly level the playing field and might teach a few people about true planning and preparedness - the ability to set up and pass traffic under any condition where the operator is still alive and there's some kind of power source.

 

[N0IU]

You know, I kind of disagree. Preparedness is part of it, but not how you've painted it. Amassing a station at home is of little comfort if you are in a mandatory evacuation zone. It's not how many contacts you make.

I said that there were some "contest-style" Field Day operations that concentrate on making a large number of contacts, but I never said that they were actually running full-blown contest stations from a fixed location with high power and directional antennas.

 

[zz0468]

I'm a rabid competitor in some contests, and don't care at all about others. I prefer the VHF/UHF contests, and the 160 CW contests, basically the opposite ends of the spectrum. It's been several decades since I've participated in a field day. It can be a lot of fun if you combine it with some other aspect of the hobby you enjoy. I build stuff, so I contest on the bands that I build stuff for. On weekends where the HF bands are loaded with Sweepstakes or Field Day, I find some other place to operate.