Amateur Radio Field Day Contest, this weekend

ssfc72 · June 25, 2022, 08:04:16 AM

The Contest involves trying to make as many "Contacts" during the contest period. The contest runs from 2 pm Saturday, round the clock, to 2 pm Sunday.
The contest is an American ARRL organization run contest and the purpose of the contest is to give Hams the exercise, in setting up an Amateur radio station and antenna, as might be required during an emergency situation and contacting other Amateur Radio operators, to pass on information.

The Peterborough Amateur Club, PARC, is again holding their Field Day at Newhall park in Peterborough. The public is welcome to come and see what it is all about.
https://www.peterboroughamateurradioclub.ca/fieldday.htm

I think, buried in Federal government licence regulations for an Amateur Radio operator, is wording that the Feds can require you to operate your HF station for emergency purposes and they can come into your house to take away your equipment if you are doing something not allowed by your licence.

Bill VE3WAH

Jason · June 25, 2022, 02:55:34 PM

"The contest involves trying to make as many 'Contacts' during the contest period."

Sounds like a dance card.

Or maybe more like speed-dating.

How long have you been involved with amateur radio, Bill?

ssfc72 · June 25, 2022, 05:23:17 PM

I passed the Federal government exam/test around 1983. After graduating from college in 1972, I had knowledge of electronic/electricity and wanted to try and get my Amateur Radio licence. I think I had to travel to Oshawa or Toronto to try writing the test and do Morse Code. I didn't pass the Morse Code test of 10 words per minute. A few years later I was able to pass the Code test at a Peterborough Amateur Radio Club event.

Jason · June 26, 2022, 06:39:49 PM

Do they still require you to know the morse code to get a license today? Even 10 words a minute seems complicated with the average word length (6 letters I recall). You'd have to remember at least 36 alphanumeric characters and transmit 3 dots/dashes per second. Achievable but I imagine for a beginner it'd be like me trying to do 10 push-ups daily.

fox · June 27, 2022, 07:03:03 AM

Quote from: Jason on June 26, 2022, 06:39:49 PM
.... Achievable but I imagine for a beginner it'd be like me trying to do 10 push-ups daily.

You can practice that at our next in-person meeting.

ssfc72 · June 27, 2022, 07:52:47 AM

A number of years ago they changed the Amateur Radio operator test requirements. A person can get licenced by passing a 100 question multiple choice question exam. No morse code exam is needed.
This allows a person to use the Bands above 30 MHz, VHF/ UHF. These are short distance frequencies.
To be able to use the HF frequencies (long dstance/worldwide) a person would have to pass the morse code exam of 5 words a minute, send/receive or get 80% pass on the Basic exam.

There is an Advanced qualification test of 50 questions that allows a person to build transmitting equipment, operate higher power and operate your own repeater station.

https://www.rac.ca/requirements/

I think, buried in the Federal Licence regulations, there is wording that the Feds can require you to operate your station, if needed, during an emergency. The Feds can also come into your house and take away your equipment, if you are doing something not allowed by your licence.

Quote from: Jason on June 26, 2022, 06:39:49 PM
Do they still require you to know the morse code to get a license today? Even 10 words a minute seems complicated with the average word length (6 letters I recall). You'd have to remember at least 36 alphanumeric characters and transmit 3 dots/dashes per second. Achievable but I imagine for a beginner it'd be like me trying to do 10 push-ups daily.

Jason · June 29, 2022, 08:07:30 PM

Quote from: ssfc72 on June 27, 2022, 07:52:47 AM
I think, buried in the Federal Licence regulations, there is wording that the Feds can require you to operate your station, if needed, during an emergency. The Feds can also come into your house and take away your equipment, if you are doing something not allowed by your licence.

"I think", Bill says, and then quickly adds, "not that I'd know anything about that personally".

I'd be curious, just what you'd have to do to have the Feds swoop in with their black copters and take away your equipment. I imagine just the possibility keeps everyone on good behaviour, though. From what I understand, it's not that cheap.

But seriously, that's an impressively long exam considering that the Security+ certification I'm preparing for has a maximum of 90 questions.

Regarding the pushups, that's just plain mean of you, sir!

I don't want to relive primary school being one of the guys who got a participation pin just for having a pulse.

ssfc72 · July 01, 2022, 06:44:46 AM

Apparently there was actually someone in Peterborough, in the 1980's or 1990's that was unlicenced and was using some Amateur radio transceivers to interfere with communications on the Amateur radio bands and other commercial/business radio frequencies.
The local Amateur radio guys were able to track him down and identify him. He apparently was living with his mom and the authorities went in and took his radio gear away. I would imagine there would have been some legal action taken, as well.

Quote from: Jason on June 29, 2022, 08:07:30 PM
"I think", Bill says, and then quickly adds, "not that I'd know anything about that personally". I'd be curious, just what you'd have to do to have the Feds swoop in with their black copters and take away your equipment. I imagine just the possibility keeps everyone on good behaviour, though. From what I understand, it's not that cheap.

Jason · July 03, 2022, 04:32:31 AM

"living with him mom" <- I love that part! Do you know if he was underage or not? I can see why that'd be a problem.

ssfc72 · July 03, 2022, 06:42:18 AM

Not sure if I remember correctly but I think the guy was a young adult.

Jason · July 03, 2022, 04:00:08 PM

So how did the contest go? Who won and how many contacts did they make?

ssfc72 · July 06, 2022, 05:34:33 AM

Here is a Link to the 2021 scores. They were published in December 2021 so this years results will probably get published this December.
https://contests.arrl.org/ContestResults/2021/Field-Day-2021-FinalQSTResults.pdf

They don't list any winners. At the top of page 2 (page 64 of the QST magazine) they list 13 Categories that the participants can enter their contest results depending on their number of transmitters, Operators and if they were using battery/generator or running off commercial power.

The Lindsay Club, VHARA (Victoria-Haliburton ARA) had a score of over 1000 points and there were 3 members from the Club that had transmitting stations, from their home location.
The Peterborough Club had a score of over 3000 point and had 7 transmitting stations.