Greetings.
This is an update to an earlier posting. Please correct your calendars if you marked 6 Feb as the date of our next operating event (The New Mexico QSO Party). The actual date of the NM QSO Party is Sunday, 7 Feb.
As of today there are only 153 days until we start the operating phase of Field Day on 26 June. That should give us sufficient time to get everyone who is interested a chance to learn about Field Day, contesting, propagation, using logging software, using the typical rigs we'll use during Field Day and practice your operating and logging skills in some fun and generally laid back (aka user friendly) contests.
In preparation for Field Day, AARC Jr (KI3DS) will host a series of contests in conjunction with various amateur radio contests. These contests will allow everyone (tech through amateur extra) to participate. For the Technicians we will provide a control operator. The best part is that we won’t have to worry about third party restrictions in these contests. With one exception, we'll be making contacts with US stations only.
We are not hard core contesters since we take a very laidback and very informal approach to contesting. We don’t claim to be contesting experts but based on our individual and collective experience, we think we can help new hams, hams who haven’t been on the air in many years and others, overcome the frenzied world of contesting and still have fun. When you show up, we have three goals:
- 1. Have fun.
- 2. Help you get comfortable participating in amateur radio operating contests (and ultimately Field Day).
- 3. Help you feel comfortable operating one of our ten radio stations during Field Day and have fun doing so.
During these monthly events, you’ll have the opportunity to do 3 or 4 important things:
- 1. Operate any mode (Phone, CW or Digital) permitted during the contests. If you're not familiar with any particular mode or a little rusty, then this is your chance to learn and become comfortably proficient. In theory.
- 2. Use and familiarize yourself with logging software.
- 3. Acquaint yourself with some of the radios we’ll use during Field Day.
- 4. Help set up extra antennas and radio stations (Just like during the Field Day Setup phase) from time-to-time.
While most of these contests primarily use the phone mode, some will offer CW and/or digital modes as well. We will take advantage of every mode available. And of course everyone is welcome.
Like last year, we'll associate each event with some sort of food category or type for dinner.
There are approximately 25 state or regional QSO parties scheduled between January and June. In most cases we will likely participate in these events only on the Saturday portion. Based on the dates, here are the tentative contests we are considering. So come by the clubhouse and spend a couple hours or more learning and having fun. We must warn you that you might find it addictive.
- 7 February- New Mexico QSO Party - 10:00 am - 10:00 pm A rare Sunday only contest. This is a 12 hour contest. Modes include Phone, CW and Digital. We will operate until about 5:00pm. We hope to operate all three modes.
- 20-21 March- Oklahoma QSO Party – 9:00 am – 9:00 pm (Sat) and 9:00 am – 3:00pm (Sun). This is an 18 hour contest with a 12 hour break. We will operate until midnight or so. Modes include Phone and CW.
- 17 April – Michigan QSO Party - Noon – Midnight. This is a 12 hour contest. Modes include Phone and CW. This will be our first on-the-air CW operating event for the Field Day Morse Code Class. We will operate the entire event.
- 1 May This will be "two fer" event which will combine two multi-state QSO Parties. We will operate 15 hours or so from 9:00am until midnight or so:
- 1 May - Seventh Call Area QSO Party - 9:00 am (Sat) – 3:00 am (Sun). This is an 18 hour contest. We will operate 9:00am until Midnight. Modes include Phone, CW and Digital. Lots of states to contact.
- 1-2 May - New England QSO Party – 4:00 pm (Sat) – 1:00 am (Sun) and 9:00 am – 8:00 pm (Sun). This is a 17 hour contest with an 8 hour break. We will operate 4:00pm until Midnight. Modes include Phone and CW. Lots of states to contact.
- 5 June – Alabama QSO Party – Noon – Midnight. This is a 12 hour contest. We will operate the entire event. Modes include Phone and CW. This will be our last operating event before Field Day.
Hope to see you at the clubhouse!
73
2010 Field Day Committee
