Field Day Fails

[techman210]

As someone that has participated and coordinated a number of Field Day and other public events, I would like to put forward the following-

One of the aspects of the event is to promote Amateur Radio. I have been to events without any hammy regalia (no callsign hats, orange vests or HT radios with 24" antennas) and looking around the stations, no one ever approached me within 15 minutes. And I was the only visitor there.

So, during daylight hours, have someone at least patrolling the area and looking for strangers to contact. Have literature. Give them a script to follow, and encourage them not to mention how well those 2M amplitude modulated Gonset communicators helped them in 1962, or the status of your vintage KWM-2. Talk to them in simple non-technical terms.


Radios:

I've seem most events staffed with the back-end of the radios facing the visitor. Boy, that was interesting seeing the antenna connector and how the power was applied to the radio, as well as the male pattern baldness of uncle Ted! Turn the radio "sexy-side to the crowd" because everyone knows what the back-end of the radio operator looks like. And get some women and teens to work the radios as well.


Audio:

Probably the greatest crime of all. I've seen the radio operator wearing a headset so nobody can hear the actual RADIO. It's not that hard to support a headset and a speaker at the same time. We are supposed to be "technologists", right?

Digital:

If you are working a digital or CW station, try to get a decoder/display to face the crowd as well, so they can see that as well.

And most of all, keep safe. Follow grounding practices, and let generators cool before you refill the fuel.

Have great Field Day.

 

[cavmedic]

Could be worse, your field day spot could be at a place that does not allow any visitors............

 

[cavmedic]

Reading Radio Club FIeld Day

 

[ladn]

We are supposed to be "technologists", right?

Accurate 30-40 years ago.

Sadly, today, I think the operative term is "Appliance Operator".

 

[n9mxq]

It's just a contest now..

 

[krokus]

It's just a contest now..

Only for those that don't incorporate public outreach. The club I do FD with sent out postcards to local hams, on top of the typical elected officials in invited. We set up in a well traveled area, with banners facing the main roads.

 

[MTS2000des]

The whole idea of Field Day got lost in the sauce between whackerism and ham radio elitism making it some pissing contents. The original purpose was to demonstrate amateur radios' technical ability to the public for educating them on our capability and skills as well as enticing new hams.

Somehow it became a Randy Rescue whacker show with MCVs, fake cop cars, orange vests, then the other extreme are elitist contest hams who don't want to be bothered or interrupted making their precious contacts to deal with the public.

SOTA/POTA does more these days to show off REAL HAM radio than Field Day.

 

[krokus]

I should have noted that the club I help has an info tent set up, with a screen showing the logging software's contact tallies. This is next to the tent with the GOTA station.

 

[k6cpo]

The club wide interest in Field Day at my club dried up back in 2016. Since then, we've encouraged members that want to participate to seek out other clubs that are willing to let them operate. Most are gracious about it, but one club wouldn't let our members operate because they weren't members of the other club. They said it was due to "liability issues." I don't know what that's about but it doesn't sound legitimate to me.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Why is it always the hottest most humid weekend of the year?

 

[spacellamaman]

Why is it always the hottest most humid weekend of the year?

Nothing says sexy like an all HAM wet T-shirt contest.

Like Techman210 says:

"sexy-side to the crowd" because everyone knows what the back-end of the radio operator looks like.

I should also add, as a non-HAM, but HAM-adjacent person myself, Techman210's idea's would go a long ways to addressing a host of missed opportunities at these things. I have deliberately gone to a couple of Field Day's in my area, where I circled, stalked, and acted as suspect as humanly possible, and no-one seemed to notice.

Like "using binoculars to glance over at the person beside you in the elevator" suspect.


They were also very quiet. Well, more accurately there was little audible Radio Related Racket. With a scanner slung over each shoulder listening to local air traffic, I have felt kinda sheepish at these field days, like the periodic chatter was disturbing the peace. Like maybe I was disturbing other park patrons with my scanners periodically making noise, where the nice HAM Fellas were conscientiously keeping a lid on all their radios, if not their vocal cords.


Speaking of HAM Fellas, probably Techman210's best suggestion is getting some diversity on display up in these groups.

Like any.

More specifically, I'm talking women.

Of any and all persuasions. (A HAM operator would be fantastic, but at least someone that likes radios)

Little do good, more do better.

And pass the hat beforehand, it's harder for a person to frown when they have been bribed to be somewhere.

Turn the heat and the humidity to your group's advantage!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Nothing says sexy like an all HAM wet T-shirt contest.

Like Techman210 says:

(snip)

Speaking of HAM Fellas, probably Techman210's best suggestion is getting some diversity on display up in these groups.

Like any.

More specifically, I'm talking women.

Of any and all persuasions. (A HAM operator would be fantastic, but at least someone that likes radios)

Little do good, more do better.

And pass the hat beforehand, it's harder for a person to frown when they have been bribed to be somewhere.

Turn the heat and the humidity to your group's advantage!

I was at Dayton, the real Dayton, decades ago.
1) ICOM had 'mad housewives in pink bathrobes with rolling pins" as booth babes.
2) I was out in the flea market and two pretty young girls in summer dresses, no underwear, twirled by me. I don't know who put them up to it. Maybe they were local Amish doing their Rumspringa thing.

 

[cavmedic]

I was at Dayton, the real Dayton, decades ago.
1) ICOM had 'mad housewives in pink bathrobes with rolling pins" as booth babes.
2) I was out in the flea market and two pretty young girls in summer dresses, no underwear, twirled by me. I don't know who put them up to it. Maybe they were local Amish doing their Rumspringa thing.

Free muffin 👍

 

[nd5y]

Why is it always the hottest most humid weekend of the year?

Probably because ARRL started it and they are based in CT where it's never hot.

 

[KevinC]

But did any of you drink wine and dance around a fire with your female friends?

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

But did any of you drink wine and dance around a fire with your female friends?

Yeah, but not at a Hamfest...

 

[krokus]

Why is it always the hottest most humid weekend of the year?

We lucked out, the previous two weeks had been record high temperatures, with corresponding humidities. FD weekend was only in the 80s during the day, with moderate humidity.

Those hot & humid days make me miss the desert.

 

[DeeEx]

I was at Dayton, the real Dayton, decades ago.
1) ICOM had 'mad housewives in pink bathrobes with rolling pins" as booth babes.
2) I was out in the flea market and two pretty young girls in summer dresses, no underwear, twirled by me. I don't know who put them up to it. Maybe they were local Amish doing their Rumspringa thing.

I can appreciate beautiful women anywhere but there’s a time and place for dressing like that. No excuse for showing off when people are there to enjoy the hobby.

I had an acquaintance who was an adult film star. She happened to be touring the area and it happened to be my birthday when Boxboro hamfest occurred. I’m sure anyone who was there remembers. Even though her philosophy was that she was the hottest woman who ever lived and she should always wear as little as possible, she dressed respectfully that day and was her normal outgoing and friendly self. Everyone loved her bubbly presence and only a couple people recognized her. And it didn’t hurt that I brought someone who was really wealthy to a hamfest at a time when she felt obligated to get me something for my birthday!

My wife is a licensed ham and was a “dancer” in college, and at 5’11” it’s hard to miss her. Still a lady who dresses reasonably and treats everyone normally at hamfests.

 

[k6cpo]

As someone that has participated and coordinated a number of Field Day and other public events, I would like to put forward the following-

One of the aspects of the event is to promote Amateur Radio. I have been to events without any hammy regalia (no callsign hats, orange vests or HT radios with 24" antennas) and looking around the stations, no one ever approached me within 15 minutes. And I was the only visitor there.

So, during daylight hours, have someone at least patrolling the area and looking for strangers to contact. Have literature. Give them a script to follow, and encourage them not to mention how well those 2M amplitude modulated Gonset communicators helped them in 1962, or the status of your vintage KWM-2. Talk to them in simple non-technical terms.


Radios:

I've seem most events staffed with the back-end of the radios facing the visitor. Boy, that was interesting seeing the antenna connector and how the power was applied to the radio, as well as the male pattern baldness of uncle Ted! Turn the radio "sexy-side to the crowd" because everyone knows what the back-end of the radio operator looks like. And get some women and teens to work the radios as well.


Audio:

Probably the greatest crime of all. I've seen the radio operator wearing a headset so nobody can hear the actual RADIO. It's not that hard to support a headset and a speaker at the same time. We are supposed to be "technologists", right?

Digital:

If you are working a digital or CW station, try to get a decoder/display to face the crowd as well, so they can see that as well.

And most of all, keep safe. Follow grounding practices, and let generators cool before you refill the fuel.

Have great Field Day.

This is pretty much the purpose of the GOTA (Get On The Air) Station. It allows the public to see how radio works and perhaps get a chance of trying it themselves, away from the serious operators. If there's a lot of demand, have more than one GOTA station, one separate bands.

 

[wwhitby]

Probably because ARRL started it and they are based in CT where it's never hot.

I really wish they would move it to early May. It was about 95 here, with the same amount of humidity,