Don’t Mess With The Field Day Rules

Given the Chinese/Wuhan/COVID virus situation, many hams are anticipating a change to their ARRL Field Day operation. I’ve also seen a number of proposals to modify the FD rules to allow for a different kind of operation. I appreciate that kind of thinking outside the box but I think it is misguided. One of the strengths of FD is it already has a set of flexible rules and operating classes, so you can adapt it to what you or your club wants it to be. See my post: ARRL Field Day – Season to Taste

Some Ideas

What are some of the proposals? The first one I noticed is a proposal to allow all Class D stations (home station with commercial power) to work other Class D stations for points. The FD rules do not currently allow this. Class E stations (home station with emergency power) are allowed to any class station. Obviously, this rule is to encourage people to develop emergency power capability (and use it) for their home station. This is perfectly aligned with the emcomm focus of Field Day.

Another proposal is to allow a “backyard operating” class, where you set up a portable station in your backyard. Of course, this is already allowed under the rules as a Class B station.

One of the more innovative ideas I’ve heard is to allow multiple stations (not colocated) to operate under one club callsign, coordinating their operation via the internet. This approach emulates a “normal” Class A FD operation, while everyone is locked down at home. This is not allowed as a Class A station:  “All equipment (including antennas) must lie within a circle whose diameter does not exceed 300 meters (1000 feet).”  This is roughly equivalent to a group of Class D or E stations working together towards a common score. Why not just operate as independent Class D and E stations, which is more like a real emergency situation?

Adapt and Innovate

Our local radio club is considering different ways to adapt, seeing this as a training and learning opportunity. We will probably encourage our members to get on the air individually, with emergency power. We will likely encourage members to work other members, providing some kind of incentive or award. So our FD may look more like a local operating event, in addition to working distant stations. VHF/UHF will probably play an important role so that we include Technician licensees. Not sure just yet.

We are all experiencing some serious challenges this year and Field Day is not going to be the same. I am a bit surprised that the first thought about Field Day is to change the rules to make it easier or somehow better. I think we just need to adapt and innovate within the existing format. Existing Field Day Rules have plenty of flexibility.

That’s what I say. What do you think?

73 Bob K0NR

22 Replies to “Don’t Mess With The Field Day Rules”

  1. I agree that the current Field Day rules are flexible enough to accommodate the current ongoing situation. There will be less (or no) Class A operations, but the challenge and excitement of FD will still be there.

  2. I concur with no changes needed in FD rules, as they have plenty of flexibility to deal with our current situation. My FD operating preference is at QRP power levels, so for years I’ve been operating alone as Class1B Battery from the comfort of my own backyard. A QRO operator would likely find FD to be enjoyable as well, naturally with a much larger battery or generator. Neighbors might not appreciate the roar of a generator all night long, but a small Honda or similarly quiet generator should be usable.

  3. I couldn’t agree more with both of these previous comments. Field Day is meant to operate like we would in an emergency setting. Keep the rules and make people change their situation to fit the rules.

  4. Totally agree. It’s not even “broken” yet. Don’t fix it. Adapt. Overcome. Improvise. This is a “service” after all…not just a hobby.

  5. Can a backyard station be operated class B? The rules for class B state “A Field Day station set up and operated by no more than two persons. Other provisions are the same for Class A except it is not eligible for a GOTA or free VHF station.” Looking at Class A, it states “Such stations must be located in places that are not regular station locations “. What is one’s “regular station location” considered? The room you operate in your house, or is your station location the house and land around it collectively?

    • Good question, Goody. Thanks for pointing that out.

      Here’s the whole Class A text:
      “4.1. (Class A) Club / non-club portable: Club or a non-club group of three or more persons set up specifically for Field Day. Such stations must be located in places that are not regular station locations and must not use facilities installed for permanent station use, or use any structure installed permanently for Field Day. A single licensee or trustee for the entry is responsible for the group entry. All equipment (including antennas) must lie within a circle whose diameter does not exceed 300 meters (1000 feet). To be listed as Class A, all contacts must be made with transmitter(s) and receiver(s) operating independent of commercial power mains. Entrants whom for any reason operate a transmitter or receiver from a commercial main for one or more contacts will be listed separately as Class A-Commercial.”

      A narrow reading would be “your backyard is located at a regular station location.” Personally, I read it as “your backyard can be a totally separate location from your regular location.” I think the intent of the rule is that it’s not an established station and you set up a portable station just for Field Day.

      Coming at it a different way, if I did set up a completely portable and independent station in my backyard, what Class would I choose? Class D or E puts me in competition with established stations often with big towers, big antennas. A better fit would be Class B, assuming I use emergency power, etc.

      • Good point regarding “Backyard B” versus “Big Tower D/E”. Personally I favor the looser interpretation, too. I’m thinking of doing a 1B Battery QRP. I had a blast doing 2B Battery QRP last year.

  6. I suppose that’s open to interpretation. My normal shack is inside the house, I run a power supply connected to the AC mains, and I have a permanent (or as long as it stays up) antenna. For Field Day, I operate a different radio (Elecraft KX1), use a LiFePO4 battery (solar charged), and set up a portable antenna – usually a dipole supported by fiberglass poles. Except for the fact that I’m sitting on my deck instead of the middle of a field, I see no difference between my setup and a typical Field Day site.

  7. Completely agree. Often crises or emergencies allow people an excuse to unnecessarily break rules. The amateur radio community does not need to provide that kind of example.

  8. Another reason to not mess with the rules:
    As the pandemic slows, some parts of the USA may relax the stay-at-home orders before June 27th. Clubs may figure out mitigation efforts to have a safe Class A type operation. The USA is a big place: what’s appropriate for New York City may not be needed in Fairbanks, AK.

    Adapt and innovate! But be safe.

  9. I like the idea of a distributed station, and I think it deserves its own class and keeping for the following years. However, since FD is not a contest, but an emergency communication exercise, I would make a few small modifications.

    The most important one is that the distributed station can not rely on pre-existing communication infrastructure. This rules out use of internet, and means that no existing repeaters can be used. If the group wants to use a repeater, it should be installed within the 24htr window for preparations.

    Other than that, anything, from pigeon post, through HTs (and newly installed repaters), to sophisticated mm-wavelength mesh networks (as long as they were installed from scratch within the preparation window) would be an acceptable solution (or any mix of them).

    To make the scenario more realistic, at least 50% of the stations (including standalone communication infrastructure components, like repaters) should run on an emergency power.

    This fits nicely within the spirit of Field Day, and I think would be a good upgrade to existing rules.

    • Jacek,
      I see your point and I like the idea.
      I think I am reacting to two things concerning changes to the Field Day rules: 1) People rushing to change the rules because of the Wuhan virus issue this year. Your idea says let’s change it for the future…not a one-off fix for this year. 2) People proposing changes that try to optimize the contesting aspect of Field Day. Linking together a bunch of stations over the internet to run multiop doesn’t strike me as consistent with Field Day. However, your idea does.

      Thanks for proposing an interesting idea.
      (I am still in the “don’t mess with it” camp.)

      • When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade. Current situation is very unusual, but also created a great opportunity to innovate. So why not to take advantage of it?

        Re FD as a contest: I really don’t like the idea of competing as the main goal. For me it’s an emergency exercise, and an outreach event. For several years I’ve been a band captain on a 4/5 band station, but churning points was never on my list of goals. Collecting points is a nice way to see how you fared compared to others, but for me it was always more important to have the tent open for as many people, especially new hams, as possible.

        Introducing distributed stations is a great opportunity to get even more people involved in emergency operations. Especially those, who are too shy to ask for a seat at the radio (and believe me, there are many of such ops).
        On the other hand I don’t think it’s fair to compare a coordinated effort with a single person person working own radio for fun.

        If it’s going to be a one-time effort – don’t bother with changing current rules.
        But I’m all for making distributed stations a permanent element of this, and future Field Days, and counting them as a separate class.

  10. I just noticed this item in the ARRL Field Day FAQ, found here: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/2019-FD-FAQ-RevA.pdf

    Q. We don’t have an area club, but we do have a small group of area hams (generally two or three of us get together for operating events). I have a large-deep property, and we will be setting up in my back yard. What Class would we be? Class A, Class B or ?

    A. Convenient access across one’s backyard to their home station facilities is not in keeping with the spirit of Class A or Class B portable operations. Such convenient backyard operations on property of home stations remain either Class D (commercial power) or Class E (emergency power), even if home antenna structures are not used. If the station will be a ‘good hike’ away from a home station (eg, at the rear of a several acre lot, or perhaps operating from a farmers field down the road) – clearly away from home conveniences (away from home utilities, or home restrooms/bedrooms, or even eating facilities/refrigerator/kitchen) – then Class A (3 or more persons portable) or Class B (1 or 2 person portable) is appropriate.

  11. Hmm, don’t ever remember seeing this in the FAQ before. Two comments:

    1) The FAQs are not the rules, and

    2) In the past, when I’ve participated in large club Field Day events, we almost always set up somewhere where we had on-site access to indoor toilet and kitchen facilities, and occasionally even a shower. Plus there was usually a participant or two who would bring an RV or self-contained trailer out so that they could operate in air-conditioned comfort.

    If the ARRL really wants to be serious about defining the parameters in which we operate during Field Day, they’re going to have to enumerate those parameters within the rules and then get ready for the screaming from a lot of hams. Personally, in an emergency situation requiring a field station to be set up, I’m not going down to a park a mile down the road. I’ll be in my back yard, spirit be damned.

  12. Pingback: How Much Does Emergency Power Cost? - The KØNR Radio Site

  13. Rule change or not, I’m still planning on being a 1B Battery station from the friendly confines of my backyard. But it’s nice to know that, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, I have the option of operating as a 1D station from my shack. Either way, lots of fun!

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