Field Day 2021 is a bust in AZ

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AK9R

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Set up in a local park, a parking lot, mobile, etc.
Last year, when everybody (yes, I'm exaggerating) cowered at home and operated 1D. I got permission to use a local church's outdoor shelter. Had the place to myself, put up a portable antenna, set up my radio, and operated 1B all afternoon. Didn't make many contacts, but had a good time.
 

tweiss3

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Don't forget, there is still the exemption this year that allows H class contact everyone, and will allow you to congregate scores for the club too.
 

AK9R

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There is no Class H in the ARRL Field Day. You may be thinking of Class D.

ARRL Field Day rules can be found here: Field Day Rules
 

GlobalNorth

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Do you have to go to a National Forest to have Field Day? I must have missed that in the literature.

Set up in a local park, a parking lot, mobile, etc.

When it is 115º F+, people do not want to sit in a local park, a local parking lot, etc.

Field day in Arizona means get out of the heat and get to the forests for cooler weather and some different operating parameters. Reliving the time spent at 29 Palms in the Marine Corps Air/Ground Combat Center with a PRC77 stopped being fun six months into the first enlistment.

With apologies to Kipling, 'only mad dogs and Englishmen venture out into the noon-day Sun...'
 

AK9R

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If you really want to operate Field Day, you will find a way to do it.

If you want to complain about some external condition prohibiting you from operating Field Day, you will do it.

Work the problem and find a solution. If nothing else, sit at home in the air conditioning and operate 1D.
 

Golay

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When it is 115º F+, people do not want to sit in a local park, a local parking lot, etc.

Field day in Arizona means get out of the heat and get to the forests for cooler weather and some different operating parameters. Reliving the time spent at 29 Palms in the Marine Corps Air/Ground Combat Center with a PRC77 stopped being fun six months into the first enlistment.

With apologies to Kipling, 'only mad dogs and Englishmen venture out into the noon-day Sun...'

Let's hope that Arizona RACES and ARPSC isn't needed when it's too hot out for them.
Here I'm thinking the whole purpose of Field Day is emergency preparedness. Maybe I'm wrong.
 

GlobalNorth

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Who knew that senior citizen hams and those who exceed 300 pounds were ultra-endurance athletes?

Having done things like mountain rescues and body recoveries, dealt with drownings, and lost hikers in 110 - 120 degree heat for over two decades as a career; I'll venture to say that many seniors and the ultra-obese couldn't cut emergency situations, RACES or not.

Amateurs around here generally go out on Field Day to make contacts, picnic, and socialize in a cooler climate; not engage in wilderness challenges.

If putting on a ruck loaded with 60 pounds of gear, orienteering with a map and compass to a previously unknown site, and running a net for hours without relief is your thing... congrats and well done. If it is sitting in a parking lot with an orange vest on, while sitting under a tailgating tent, while someone makes a fast food run and everyone is spending as little time working a radio... that isn't EMCOMM the way the military and public safety professionals do it.
 

AK9R

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Field Day can be whatever you want it to be.

Frankly, I saw seemingly hundreds of whiny, submissive amateur radio operators post on social media last year that "Field Day was a bust" when their locality was "locked down". Yet, some of us proved that it wasn't. And, you can count me among the 300+ pound amateur radio operators who aren't likely to hike up a mountain with a 60-pound pack. Yet, I still set up a portable antenna a park-like setting in midwest heat and humidity last year. Just stop complaining. Find a way.
 

needairtime

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Last year the local club got an exemption as everyone was outdoors and fairly well separated from each other. They aren't really much for contesting, so no Field Day awards despite operating mostly like any other year.

This year, however, looks cloudy... will have to see how often people will need to spin their PL259's off their radios to prevent the big blue beam from entering.
 

tomhobbs

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I dont know how many Hams were in AZ this year but I logged over a dozen from AZ while in East Central MO, on 6Meters and a couple on 10 Meters..Thankyou all for the contacts, From the


Sullivan Amateur Radio Club
N0E was our callsign
 
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