Check logs are gratefully acknowledged from G3TXF*, G3VQO, G3ZDD, G6XN/P, HA2MN, HA5LZ, HB9QA, K3ZO*, M0PCB, OZ0F, S51J and US3LX

* = Certificate Winners

NATIONAL FIELD DAY 2006

Participants’ perception of National Field Day is influenced by a number of factors. Perhaps the two key ones are the weather and band conditions. NFD came up trumps on both counts this year - although the HF Contests Committee cannot claim any credit for this. Nearly all entrants who made comments said they were delighted with the conditions on 10m, and most also commented favourably on the good weather.

Entries

There were exactly 50 entries this year, 2 down on last year. Although the number of Restricted section entries was almost static, the Open section was significantly down (from 18 to 13) but this was offset by a small increase in the Low Power section. The significant fall in the Open section perhaps reflects increasing difficulty in finding the required number of people to erect complex antenna configurations in an ageing amateur population. Overall, however, 13 callsigns not entering in 2005 appeared this year, suggesting that a number of clubs who had not entered before were prepared to come on and give NFD a try. In contrast to recent years, in which nearly all of the UK prefixes have appeared among the entrants, this year only G & GM stations submitted entries. A couple of the regulars from the rarer UK prefixes commented that they were taking a “year off” but have promised that they will be back in 2007.

One of this year’s entrants did not sign /P during the contest. The reason given for this was that, although operating under portable conditions in accordance with the NFD rules, the station was nonetheless within the bounds of the address defined in the licence. Even if changes to BR68 mean that the /P suffix is no longer required as a licence condition, HFCC believes that all portable stations in Field Days should continue to sign /P. The General Rules will be amended to clarify this.

11 check logs were received, ten of which were from European stations and the eleventh from Fred Laun K3ZO who is very frequently to be found giving out points in RSGB contests. Check logs are a valuable part of the adjudication process and grateful thanks are offered to those who submitted them.

Adjudication

All UK logs were submitted by e-mail as data files this year, reflecting the fact that use of computers for logging is now all but universal. The HFCC-preferred Cabrillo format was also universally used by entrants, although a few logs required minor treatment with a column editor to achieve full compliance with the Cabrillo standard.

Because a number of Region 1 national societies now run their CW Field Days on the same weekend as NFD in order to provide a larger pool of portable stations to contact, the opportunity also exists to share logs between the participating societies for checking purposes. This year, logs were exchanged with the German, Swiss, Russian, Belgian and Italian Field Day organisers, providing a pool of well over 300 overseas logs to be used in the checking process.

With all this data at its disposal, the checking software produced a list of over 4800 exceptions that required many hours of manual inspection, and these were boiled down in the end to a list of 665 errors for which points were deductible. Error rates varied between 8.11% and a highly creditable 0.35%. Interestingly, although the correlation is fairly loose, it was in general the leading stations who achieved the lowest error rates.

As in previous years, there were a number of types of error. The most common fault by far was received callsigns being misread. However incorrect serial numbers and QSOs which simply didn’t tally between the 2 logs also took their toll. The latter are probably due to station A thinking it is working station B, but station B is actually working station C – a situation most likely to occur on the more crowded bands such as 40m. A variant of this, in which what is clearly the same QSO appears on different bands in the two logs, was significant enough to be commented on in last year’s report but was almost entirely absent in 2006. This is perhaps due to the increased use of data links between computers and rigs. There were still a number of cases of simple transcription errors such as typing O instead of 0, and I instead of 1 which could be avoided by a simple “sanity check” of the log before submission.

One particular log had over a dozen QSOs with stations, almost all signing /P, whose callsigns appeared in no other logs. On investigation, these stations were found to have home QTHs in the locale of the participating club. Entrants should note that the practice of club members coming on to give points to their club station alone is not in accordance with the spirit of NFD.

Complementary to the checking of logs after the event is the carrying out of inspections during it. This year seven inspections were carried out by members of the HFCC, ranging from the south east of England to Scotland. All stations were found to be in order and inspector-friendly, although actually getting onto the site was in a couple of instances a challenge! An attempt to inspect an eighth station proved abortive as, although the station was active, it was not at the location provided at the time of registration, and, despite local enquiries, could not be located. It is the third time in the past few years that a station which has registered has, without notifying the adjudicator of the fact, either not come on or has used a site different from that notified. Obviously circumstances can change, and there is no problem with this provided that such changes are notified. However the HFCC is minded in future to penalise un-notified changes by, as a minimum, withholding any awards that such stations would otherwise have earned.

Conditions

As usual 160m was fast and furious for a relatively short period, with the bulk of activity between 2100 & 0330 UTC. Scores were down on last year and several stations commented on the relative lack of activity on the band. Nearly all the QSOs were with the UK and Europe (predominantly northern Europe), with the occasional Russian call appearing.

80m followed a similar pattern to 160m in that scores were down compared with 2005, with activity concentrated during the hours between 2100 & 0400. Most stations chose to swap between 160 and 80m regularly, with occasional forays on the other bands, to keep the QSO rate up. Again, most of the stations appearing in the logs were UK and rest of Europe, with a sprinkling of Russians and North Americans.

40m was open for traffic for the whole of the contest, and taking advantage of this most stations used the band when they found other bands unable to provide an acceptable QSO rate. Most of the QSOs were with the UK and Europe (with a lower proportion of UK contacts than 160m and 80m due to the skip distance) and a higher proportion of Russians (particularly Asiatic Russians) and North Americans. A single VK appeared in a number of logs.

Most stations found that QSOs could productively be made on 20m for most of the 24 hours, with a gap of a few hours between a couple of hours after dark and just before dawn. However the single band entry by GM3POI/P found that QSOs were possible throughout the night (albeit at a reduced rate) and was able to maintain a nice run the North America throughout the hours of darkness. Contacts appearing in the logs were mainly with Europe and Russia (with a useful cluster of Asiatic portables to be worked), but a good number of North American stations were also worked, along with a few Far East stations.

15m tends to be a bit of a problem band in NFD, as the QSO rate can be lower than elsewhere. However, there are contacts to be made, and these appear in logs mainly between 1600 and 2000, and again between 0700 and the end of the contest. Contacts were mainly with Europe and (mainly European) Russia, although a very few contacts with the Pacific and Oceania also appear.

The big (and very pleasant) surprise in NFD this year was 10m, and most entrants commented on what good shape the band was in. This was the one band where scores were most definitely up compared with 2005. Many stations had in excess of 200 QSOs on the band, and 2 exceeded 300 QSOs. Most were made between 1500 & 1845 on the Saturday, and on the Sunday between 0900 & the end of the contest. Most QSOs were with Europe and Russia (including a few Asiatic Russians), although quite a number of North American stations were worked, together with a very few items of DX.

Results

Leading scores were substantially up compared with last year in the Open and Restricted section (by 13% and 15% respectively) but down by 19% in the Low Power section. It is not clear why this difference should exist, although it does reflect the comment made by several Low Power stations that they found QSOs difficult to make this year. Unlike last year, when the scores at the top of the table were very close, particularly in the Restricted section, in 2006 the scores were more separated with over 11% of the leader’s points separating the first 4 stations in each section.

Last year’s winners in the Open Section GD0EMG/P took a sabbatical this year, and the 2005 runner-up, Lichfield ARS G3NKC/P, operated by G3NKC, G3VHB and G0MTN, moves up from 3rd place to take the honours in 2006. Part of this success must be due to their high degree of “frequency agility”, being prepared to QSY frequently to pick up QSOs on another band even though in the middle of a run. Runner-up was Bristol CG G6YB/P, operated by G0WKW G3TKF G3XSV G3ZVW & G4FKA, maintaining their 2005 position. North Wakefield RC G4NOK/P, operated by G4RCG G4RQI & G3VMW, move up from 6th place in 2005 to 3rd place this year.

In the Restricted Section, the 2005 winner GM3POI/P decided to put on a single band entry, and the 2005 runner-up steps up into first place. This was the Flying Pigs CG G0IVZ/P operated by G0IVZ, G4EDG and G4TSH. Last year’s second place station G3GRS/P did not enter this year owing to shortage of operators, and their place was taken by Cray Valley RS G3RCV/P for whom this was the first entry in NFD in recent years. For a first time entrant to go straight in at second place is an astonishing achievement, all the more so because the team were using a new site, and two of their operators (G0CKP and M3CVN) had never operated in NFD before. Of course the presence of long term NFD stalwart G4BUO must have helped! In third place was Contest Cumbria G3IZD/P, operated by G3IZD, G3WGV & G4IIY, up one place from 2005.

Operating in the Restricted section was a single band 20m entry from Orkney GM3POI/P operated by GM3POI and MM0GKB. This station managed to achieve a most impressive 1000 QSOs (over a quarter of which were with North America). This was achieved without the use of a beam, and the effort deservedly wins the Frank Hoosen G3YF Trophy.

Arguably the Low Power section this year could be called the Reading & DARC Show, as this club managed to put on 4 QRP stations - and one of these was the section winner! The leading station was Reading & DARC G3ULT/P operated by G0VQR & G0LHZ, repeating their success in 2005, and thereby retaining their own trophy. Runner up was M0DHO/P (another Reading & DARC station, operated by M0DHO) – a non entrant last year. Third was Knockycoid CG GM3JKS/P, operated by GM3JKS. Frank had intended to enter the Open Section as usual, but the presence of visitors made a full weekend commitment impossible, so he entered the Low Power section instead.

Equipment

In the Open section, the most frequently reported antenna configuration by far was a tribander backed up by dipoles for the LF bands, although the heights varied. Longwires were also reported, and one station was using a Force 12 beam. In the Restricted and Low Power sections, there is a little more variation. However, 75% of those who described their stations reported that they were using a doublet between 255 & 275 ft in length, mostly in dipole configuration but in a few cases as inverted Vs, thereby saving a pole. Windoms, loops, verticals and off-centre fed dipoles were also reported.

As for rigs, the most commonly reported transceiver by far was again the FT1000 in its several variants, with 14 reported. Four IC756s were also reported. All other stations were using different models from the Kenwood, Icom and Yaesu marques, with the exception of two who were using Elecraft K2s. It is interesting to note that none of the new breed of rigs such as the IC7800 and FTDX9000 was reported as being used. Perhaps owners were not prepared to risk allowing their new (and expensive) pride and joy to be used under field conditions!

One aspect of the station that is rarely commented upon is the accommodation being used. Normally operation takes place from tents or caravans, but this year one station were operating from a mobile portakabin, and commented favourably on the experience. And the group who last year operated from a tent so small that it would undoubtedly have won the prize (if one were on offer) for the smallest ever tent used to house an NFD station, managed this year to get one in which the operators could actually stand up.

Trophies

Congratulations to the winners of the various trophies, which this year are awarded as follows:

National Field Day Trophy Lichfield ARS - G3NKC/P

Bristol Trophy Flying Pigs CG - G0IVZ/P

Reading QRP Trophy Reading & DARC - G3ULT/P

Scottish Trophy North of Scotland CG - GM4FAM/P

Gravesend Trophy Cray Valley RS - G3RCV/P

G6ZR Memorial Trophy Bristol CG - G6YB/P

Frank Hoosen G3YF Trophy Orkney ARC - GM3POI/P

Perils of the great outdoors

Most years, entrants’ comments include descriptions of various problems, technical or otherwise, experienced over the NFD weekend. Although deeply annoying to those involved, these make interesting, and sometimes amusing, reading after the event to those more remote from the difficulty. The most common problems have been difficulties with power sources, and incompatibility between computers and radio equipment. This year one generator failure was reported (it doesn’t get worse than that as the whole entry is derailed) and there was one case of “the usual selection of problems with logging PCs and radio interfaces”. Apart from that, probably the most malign incident reported was “a shower on Sunday afternoon”.

Last year’s NFD report described how Peter G3SJX had part of his tent eaten by a horse. It is gratifying to report that, following repairs, the tent escaped further damage this year as the group had access to a different field with gates up to the task of preventing equine predation – and it seemed a more effective site RF-wise as well. The only downside was that the farmer had used the dung spreader on the field a week before the event, resulting in a rather aromatic environment. This might also explain any hum on the signal from G3WRR/P…..

Soapbox

Wow, what a great weekend! One of the best NFDs I can remember. The WX was perfect and for once so were the bands. Noticable lack of G stations. Did the World Cup and the half term holiday have an effect? (G0IVZ/P)

Hot dogs tasted better than ever. (M5MDX/P)

Usually struggle with two ops - this year we had the luxury of three! (G4FNL/P)

This is the first outing for Cray Valley G3RCV/P in NFD for many years. For two of the three operators it was their first ever NFD, greatly enjoyed the whole event though it got a bit chilly in the tent overnight without any heating.(G3RCV/P)

No tech or computer problems - another first (G3TRF/P)

Nice to get some openings on 10m - the first in several years up here in the frozen north! 160 seemed hard going this year, where was everyone? (G3IZD/P)

Very hard work making oneself heard with QRP and had frequent requests for repeats. (GM3JKS/P)

Did not maximise our chances this year by any stretch of the imagination...will certainly need a rethink if we wish to climb back up the tables again...cu next year (G3SAD/P)

Slow start, slow middle, slow end. (G3CNX/P)

Generator failure early Sunday morning (G0RGH/P)

Great fun /lots of sunburn ... the "A" ops were not available for all the weekend ... the "B" team did their best! (G6YB/P)

Using new mobile portacabin was a great advantage. New comfortable operating environment helped lots. (GM4GRC/P)

Excellent conditions on 20/15/10 for this stage of the sunspot cycle - no chance of operator falling asleep in the last few hours despite being on since 1 am! (G3GWB/P)

Next year

National Field Day next year takes place over the weekend of 2-3 June 2007. Hopefully all this year’s participants will have enjoyed the event and will be back next year, along with those of the regulars who “took a break” in 2006. The 3 sections offer a broad range of options to suit groups with widely differing range of experience and equipment availability. In particular, the Restricted and Open sections make it possible to enter NFD with a relatively small commitment of resources, so clubs who have not entered before or have not done so in recent years are encouraged to start planning now with a view to coming on and joining the fun in 2007.