Location
Introduction
If you came here looking for pictures of the 2014 operation, I’m afraid that you’re going to be disappointed. Don’t worry, we took part in this years event it’s just that due to a combination of factors none of us got around to taking and sharing any photographs. So if you’re the kind of person who needs visual stimuli, as this years operation was pretty much the same as that of last year and 2011 (we didn’t take part in 2012), then please look at the pages for those years. The equipment was pretty similar, the set up more or less identical and we were at the same location. On the other hand if you are interested in statistics about the operation please read on although it wasn’t one of our better years.
This year we didn’t really plan the operation in great detail. This isn’t surprising; we have been taking part in this event for a number of years and we know our setup pretty well. True, there are variations year on year but overall we know what to expect. This year most of the planning and preparation fell to Andy (G7KNA) and Gary (M0RCE). For example Andy organised: site accommodation using the awning to his caravan as the operating post. He also made sure there was: water, some food, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, the usual gift for the farmer whose field we occupy for the weekend, and brought tools, the club 2m beam, the club rotator, the club generator, a new 20l metal jerry can with 2 stroke mix and a backup station which as it turned out was essential. Gary is custodian of much of the pure field day kit and arranged to bring: antenna mast, guys, anchor pegs, Heliax feeder, numerous connectors and adaptors, and the all important (as it turned out) 12V battery.
Our problems began in a small way on the morning of the event itself, although it is true to say that we had stored a couple of issues up for the Saturday. The plan was to get to site and start setting up around 10:00 (BST) as previous years have shown that the reduced setup that we now operate can easily be established and tested in the time before the contest actually starts. So although a couple of people made it to site at the appointed time Andy was running late and so had warned Gary not to be there on time, which suited Gary as he was in the process of trying to sell a car and was waiting for a prospective purchaser to come and view the aforementioned vehicle. A brief exchange on GB3ZB with the guys who had arrived on time put matters to rest.
Not long (well 30 minutes – 45 minutes) after the appointed time we began to set up the operating shack and initially things were going well. That is until…
PROBLEM 1 – NO 12V POWER LEAD FOR THE FT736
We knew our generator was the lowest powered we had ever tried to operate from. In years gone by we have been spoilt as Ken (G4XCB), who now resides in Malta, used to organise the power side of things and brought a 5kW diesel generator which provided not only power to the shack but also to the small village of caravans and tents that would turn up for the social side of the event. In more recent years we have had a variety of generators including last year when we had the benefit of of 2kW+ 4 stroke generator mounted on a custom built trailer with its own antenna mast. This year we were relying on a 750W 2 stroke model, of which more later. Because we were concerned that using the generator to drive the transmitter directly would result in too much power draw on key down the plan was to run the rig from a large 12V lead acid battery and float charge the battery from the generator. Problem 1 was that the clubs mains powered FT736 didn’t have the optional cable that allowed operation from a 12V source. As a result we decided to chance running it directly from the 240V side of the generator.
PROBLEM 2 – NO MICROPHONE
Yes, despite looking high and low it was readily apparent the the guys who had taken the club FT736 out of the shack and prepared it for transport had neglected to include its microphone. The microphone was still in the shack. Key holders for the shack are Fred (G7LPP) who was on site but hadn’t brought his shack keys with him and wasn’t able to go home to get them or the microphone, Andy (G7KNA) who was also on site but hadn’t brought his shack keys with him and Chris (2E0TBS) who wasn’t on site. Result; Andy (G7KNA) had to drive home, get his shack keys, drive up to the Novers Park Community Centre, arrange for the back room that houses the shack to be opened, unlock the shack retrieve the microphone, lock everything up and drive back to the Field Day site. By this time it was almost contest start time, but then what else could go wrong…
PROBLEM 3 – HIGH SWR
So ready for the start of the contest, we plugged everything in and keyed up only to discover that the SWR was over 5 to 1. Much consternation ensued as we rapidly pulled down the mast and started checking the feeder, connectors and antenna looking for the cause of the problem. It was ultimately tracked down to poor connections at the feed point of the antenna. The antenna is a ZL Special copy, we believe, and is coax fed via a 6 turn coax choke and what appears to be a Pawsey stub connection arrangement. Sadly, despite the number of licensed hams on site none of us could confidently identify if the connection arrangement was, indeed, a Pawsey stub nor, assuming it was, how to recreate one. After much debate and a trip home to get a soldering iron capable of heating the connectors to the point that solder would actually flow Cyril (G3XED), our resident technical guru making a welcome appearance at Field Day, decided or more accurately convinced us to proceed with a direct centre and screen connector to the feed point and dispense with any strange connection arrangements other than a 5 turn coax choke. This was duly made good and the antenna re-erected with the result that the SWR was far more acceptable and consistent with the results we had seen on previous years.
PROBLEM 4 – RF IN THE RIG
Actually we’re not totally convinced that this is the problem, but whatever the actual cause the manifestation was that as soon as we keyed the microphone the FT736 cut out. High SWR foldback can be ruled out as we had already cured the SWR problem and this issue was only discovered when we keyed up to test the newly fixed antenna. It is possible that this was generator related, as described above and detailed below we had planned to run the rig on batteries for the event but a lack of the optional 12V power cable had forced us to revert to a direct mains supply but it is also possible that RF was getting back into the rig. More testing away from the variables of the Field Day environment is required before we can be categorical. Whatever the cause the effect was once again to keep us off air. Fortunately Andy (G7KNA) was alone in having the foresight to bring sufficient equipment to create a backup station centred on an Yaesu FT857. We continued to drive this rig directly from the generator, in this case via a switch mode power supply. Whether the FT857 was more immune to RF issues, whether the PSU allowed some buffering or filtering of the 240V supply, or whether the clubs aged FT736 is simply in need of some TLC is unclear but the upshot was that we were finally on air at 16:49 BST, costing us nearly 2 hours operating time right at the start of the contest which is usually a high scoring period.
PROBLEM 5 – THE GENERATOR
As stated earlier the generator was the lowest output unit we had employed on field day and there was a view that it was inadequate for the duty. Whether or not this is the case is somewhat moot, the 750W output ought to have been capable of driving the FT736 which requires 250VA for full power on 2m according to Yaesus manual plus a rotator which requires next to nothing and a laptop which is similarly frugal in its power demands. However the biggest problem we faced was a complete lack of stability in output voltage. Whilst some fluctuation in output is to be expected in any temporary supply arrangements we saw fluctuations in AC output of 100V – 250V. There was a similarly unstable output on the DC battery charging outlet. The upshot of this was that if key down occurred at a point of low voltage the FT857 would cut out and then re-establish itself as the microphone was unkeyed. This problem became progressively worse over the weekend which resulted in us switching to battery power on the Sunday, which in fairness was the original plan all be it that we didn’t bother float charging the battery for the short remaining period of operation. Other than the wildly variable power output the generator actually performed well mechanically. It was quiet, started easily and ran happily for around 11 hours constantly on the Saturday and about 6 hours on the Sunday.
All told this year was something of a baptism of fire, the fact that we persevered and overcame the setbacks to mount some sort of operation is commendable and the lessons learnt can be brought to bear on next years planning.
Results
The results presented below have been determined following analysis of the un-adjudicated log, and will not be updated once results are known.
Number of QSOs
Table 1, below, presents the disposition of QSOs across the operating period and calculates both the average QSO/Hour and by how much each hour deviates from the average. This table when tracked over a number of years can provide an insight into the best times to operate.
Table 1 – QSOs Recorded
| Day | Time (UTC) | Hour | QSOs | %age of QSOs | Deviation from Average QSOs/Hour | Cumulative QSOs | Cumulative %age of QSOs | Cumulative QSOs/Hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S a t u r d a y |
14:00 – 15:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00 | |
| 15:00 – 16:00 | 1 | 3 | 3.09% | -56.70% | 3 | 3.09% | 3.00 | |
| 16:00 – 17:00 | 2 | 12 | 12.37% | 73.20% | 15 | 15.46% | 7.50 | |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | 3 | 6 | 6.19% | -13.40% | 21 | 21.65% | 7.00 | |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | 4 | 3 | 3.09% | -56.70% | 24 | 24.74% | 6.00 | |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | 5 | 10 | 10.31% | 44.33% | 34 | 35.05% | 6.80 | |
| 20:00 – 21:00 | 6 | 5 | 5.15% | -27.84% | 39 | 40.21% | 6.50 | |
| 21:00 – 22:00 | 7 | 6 | 6.19% | -13.40% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | |
| 22:00 – 23:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | ||
| 23:00 – 00:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | ||
| S u n d a y |
00:00 – 01:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | |
| 01:00 – 02:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | ||
| 02:00 – 03:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | ||
| 03:00 – 04:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | ||
| 04:00 – 05:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | ||
| 05:00 – 06:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | ||
| 06:00 – 07:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00% | 45 | 46.39% | 6.43 | ||
| 07:00 – 08:00 | 8 | 5 | 5.15% | -27.84% | 50 | 51.55% | 6.25 | |
| 08:00 – 09:00 | 9 | 3 | 3.09% | -56.70% | 53 | 54.64% | 5.89 | |
| 09:00 – 10:00 | 10 | 6 | 6.19% | -13.40% | 59 | 60.82% | 5.90 | |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | 11 | 11 | 11.34% | 58.76% | 70 | 72.16% | 6.36 | |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | 12 | 6 | 6.19% | -13.40% | 76 | 78.35% | 6.33 | |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | 13 | 17 | 17.53% | 145.36% | 93 | 95.88% | 7.15 | |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | 14 | 4 | 4.12% | -42.27% | 97 | 100.00% | 6.93 | |
| TOTALS | 97 | 100.00% | ||||||
Our overall QSO rate was 6.93 per hour or on average one QSO every 8.6 minutes. Not particularly high and about 36% down on last years work rate. Year on year comparisons are a bit misleading as variable propagation characteristics can mask the real performance. An overall 97 QSOs is also low based on many previous years, however looking at the submitted logs the best in the Low Power class was only 123 QSOs with the range of entries from 31 – 123. Overall we had the fourth highest number of QSOs in this years submitted Low Power Class logs.
The low QSO rate in hour 2 is misleading as we were only operational for 11 minutes in this hour resulting in a true QSO rate of 16.3 QSO/hour. Similar adjustments are applicable to hour 7 where the actual QSO rate was 7.5 QSO/hour and hour 8 when the actual QSO rate was 21.42 QSO/hour
Points Scored
Table 2, below, presents the disposition of points scored across the operating period and calculates both the average points/QSO and by how much each hour deviates from the average. This table when read in conjunction with the QSO rate above can provide an insight into the best times to operate, as it is not always the most frenetic periods that yield the best distances.
Table 2 – Points Scored
| Day | Time (UTC) | Hour | Points | Average Points/QSO | %age of Total Points | Deviation From Average Points/QSO | Cumulative Points | Cumulative Percentage of Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S a t u r d a y |
14:00 – 15:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | |
| 15:00 – 16:00 | 1 | 332 | 110.67 | 2.20% | -28.93% | 332 | 2.20% | |
| 16:00 – 17:00 | 2 | 2137 | 178.08 | 14.15% | 14.37% | 2469 | 16.35% | |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | 3 | 1611 | 268.50 | 10.67% | 72.43% | 4080 | 27.01% | |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | 4 | 454 | 151.33 | 3.01% | -2.81% | 4534 | 30.02% | |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | 5 | 642 | 64.20 | 4.25% | -58.77% | 5176 | 34.27% | |
| 20:00 – 21:00 | 6 | 1001 | 200.20 | 6.63% | 28.57% | 6177 | 40.90% | |
| 21:00 – 22:00 | 7 | 828 | 138.00 | 5.48% | -11.37% | 7005 | 46.38% | |
| 22:00 – 23:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | ||
| 23:00 – 00:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | ||
| S u n d a y |
00:00 – 01:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | |
| 01:00 – 02:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | ||
| 02:00 – 03:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | ||
| 03:00 – 04:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | ||
| 04:00 – 05:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | ||
| 05:00 – 06:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | ||
| 06:00 – 07:00 | Shutdown | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 7005 | 46.38% | ||
| 07:00 – 08:00 | 8 | 1095 | 219.00 | 7.25% | 40.64% | 8100 | 53.63% | |
| 08:00 – 09:00 | 9 | 914 | 304.67 | 6.05% | 95.66% | 9014 | 59.68% | |
| 09:00 – 10:00 | 10 | 621 | 103.50 | 4.11% | -33.53% | 9635 | 63.79% | |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | 11 | 1331 | 121.00 | 8.81% | -22.29% | 10966 | 72.60% | |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | 12 | 1000 | 166.67 | 6.62% | 7.04% | 11966 | 79.22% | |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | 13 | 2086 | 122.71 | 13.81% | -21.20% | 14052 | 93.03% | |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | 14 | 1052 | 263.00 | 6.97% | 68.90% | 15104 | 100.00% | |
| TOTALS | 15104 | 155.71 | 100.00% | |||||
15,104 points is not high based on previous years and the average number of points per QSO was only 157. High scoring hours in terms of points per QSO were hours 3 and 9, neither of which were particularly high recorded QSOs rates.
Distances Worked
Tables 3 and 4, below, present a summary of the distances worked. The best DX was GM8FFX at 631km.
Table 3 – Distances Worked
| Distance | Number of Stations Worked | Percentage of Stations Worked |
|---|---|---|
| Dist <= 1km | 2 | 2.06% |
| 1km < Dist <= 5km | 0 | 0.00% |
| 5km < Dist <= 10km | 2 | 2.06% |
| 10km < Dist <= 20km | 3 | 3.09% |
| 20km < Dist <= 50km | 13 | 13.40% |
| 50km < Dist <= 100km | 20 | 20.62% |
| 100km < Dist <= 200km | 28 | 28.87% |
| 200km < Dist <= 350km | 22 | 22.68% |
| 350km < Dist <= 500km | 5 | 5.15% |
| 500km < Dist <= 750km | 2 | 2.06% |
| 750km < Dist <= 1000km | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1000km < Dist <= 1500km | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1500km < Dist <= 2000km | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2000km < Dist | 0 | 0.00% |
| TOTALS | 97 | 100.00% |
Table 4 – Statistical Analysis of Distances Worked
| Quantity | Value | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Mean Distance (km) | 156 | |
| Median Distance (km) | 139 | |
| Mode (km) | 152 | 3 |
| 1 Standard Deviation | 125.56 | 74.23% |
| 2 Standard Deviation | 251.12 | 96.91% |
| 3 Standard Deviation | 376.67 | 97.94% |
An average distance of 157km is consistent with a high proportion of inter-G contacts, a fact confirmed by the country disposition below. A median of 139km, lower than the mean indicates that there were some long distance contacts which were able to skew the mean high. The highest single group of contacts, predictably given the mean value was between 100km – 200km with just under 30% of all contacts occurring in this group. Just under 98% of the total population was within 3 standard deviations of the mean with the only outliers being the 2 contacts over 500km, which probably accounts for the mean being higher than the median.
Countries Worked
The tables below, show the number of stations from each country with a specific breakdown for UK stations. The table is generic allowing flexibility in the website code rather than aspirational in terms of the countries we expect to contact.
Table 5A – Countries Worked
| Country | Callsign Groups | Number of Stations Worked | Percentage of Total QSO |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | G, GX, 2E, M, MX | 78 | 80.41% |
| Special Events | GB | 0 | 0.00% |
| Isle of Man | GD, GT, 2D, MD, MT | 0 | 0.00% |
| Northern Irelend | GI, GN, 2I, MI, MN | 1 | 1.03% |
| Jersey | GJ, GH, 2J, MJ, MH | 0 | 0.00% |
| Scotland | GM, GS, 2M, MM, MS | 3 | 3.09% |
| Gurnsey | GU, GP, 2U, MU, MP | 0 | 0.00% |
| RSGB 2013 Centenary Stations | GV, 2V, MV | 0 | 0.00% |
| Wales | GW, GC, 2W, MW, MC | 7 | 7.22% |
| Club Stations (included above) | GX, MX, GT, MT, GN, MN, GH, MH, GS, MS, GP, MP, GC, MC | 1 | 1.03% |
| SUB-TOTAL | United Kingdom Stations | 89 | 91.75% |
Table 5B – Non-UK Stations Worked
| Country | Callsign Groups | Number of Stations Worked | Percentage of Total QSO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andorra | C3 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Austria | OE | 0 | 0.00% |
| Belgium | ON, OO, OP, OQ, OR, OS, OT | 1 | 1.03% |
| Cyprus | 5B, C4 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Czech Republic | OK, OL | 0 | 0.00% |
| Denmark | 5P, OZ | 0 | 0.00% |
| Eire | EI, EJ | 2 | 2.06% |
| France (inc Overseas Territories) | F, TM, TO, TX | 4 | 4.12% |
| Germany | DA, DB, DC, DD, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK, DL, DP | 0 | 0.00% |
| Gibralter | ZB, ZG | 0 | 0.00% |
| Greece | J4, SV | 0 | 0.00% |
| Hungary | HA, HG | 0 | 0.00% |
| Italy | I, IA, IB, IC, ID, IE, IF, IG, IH, IK, IL, IN, IP, IR, IT, IV, IW, IX | 0 | 0.00% |
| Liechtenstein | HB0 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Luxembourg | LX | 0 | 0.00% |
| Monaco | 3A | 0 | 0.00% |
| Netherlands (inc Antilles) | PA, PB, PD, PE, PI, PJ | 1 | 1.03% |
| Norway | LA, LB, LC, LG, LI, LJ, LN | 0 | 0.00% |
| Poland | HF, SN, SO, SP, SQ, SR | 0 | 0.00% |
| Portugul (inc Azores) | CT, CU | 0 | 0.00% |
| San Marino | T7 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Sardinia | IM, IS | 0 | 0.00% |
| Slovak Republic | OM | 0 | 0.00% |
| Slovenia | 7S | 0 | 0.00% |
| Spain (inc Overseas Islands, Territories, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla) | AM, AN, AO, EA, EB, EC, ED, EF, EG, EH | 0 | 0.00% |
| Sweden | 8S, S5, SH, SI, SJ, SL, SM | 0 | 0.00% |
| Switzerland | HB, HE | 0 | 0.00% |
| Vatican City | HV | 0 | 0.00% |
| SUB-TOTAL | Non United Kingdom Stations | 8 | 8.25% |
Table 5C – Summary of Stations Worked
| Country | Callsign Groups | Number of Stations Worked | Percentage of Total QSO |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUB-TOTAL | United Kingdom Stations | 89 | 91.75% |
| SUB-TOTAL | Non United Kingdom Stations | 8 | 8.25% |
| TOTAL MATCHED | All UK and Non UK Stations | 97 | 100.00% |
| Unmatched Callsigns | Possible Log Errors or Foreign Special Event or similar Stations | 0 | 0.00% |
| FINAL TOTAL | All Stations inc Unmatched Callsigns | 97 | 100.00% |
Less than 10% of all contacts were outside of the UK, which is consistent with other years except 2013 when we were able to work nearly 20% of all contacts outside of the UK. Openings this year were limited, with no German or Spanish stations being worked. Best DX was a Scottish station.
Submitted Log
Below is the full log submitted following participation in this yeas event. If any information is received post submission updates will appear in the “Notes” column.
We normally get round to uploading our Field Day contest logs to eQSL.cc, but otherwise do not exchange QSL cards in this event. If you wish to QSL traditionally please send information via the RSGB Bureau.
VHF National Field Day 2014 Log
| Date (UTC) | Time (UTC) | Freq (MHz) | Mode | Station Worked | Sent | Received | Locator | Distance (km) |
Notes | Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RST | Serial | RST | Serial | |||||||||
| 05/07/14 | 15:49 | 144 | SSB | G3ZME/P | 59 | 1 | 59 | 54 | IO82NN | 131 | 131 | |
| 05/07/14 | 15:51 | 144 | SSB | G4RFR/P | 59 | 2 | 59 | 39 | IO80ST | 66 | 66 | |
| 05/07/14 | 15:58 | 144 | SSB | G2DX/P | 59 | 3 | 59 | 27 | IO91PF | 135 | 135 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:01 | 144 | SSB | 2E0JWJ | 59 | 4 | 59 | 1 | IO81UP | 36 | Correct Locator IO81VG | 0 |
| 05/07/14 | 16:02 | 144 | SSB | MW0UAA/P | 59 | 5 | 59 | 25 | IO81GX | 87 | 87 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:03 | 144 | SSB | MW6ZOL/P | 59 | 6 | 59 | 25 | IO81GX | 87 | 87 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:05 | 144 | SSB | G4FSU/P | 59 | 7 | 59 | 15 | IO81SE | 26 | 26 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:07 | 144 | SSB | G8DTF/P | 59 | 8 | 56 | 5 | IO83SM | 237 | Correct Callsign G8DTF | 0 |
| 05/07/14 | 16:09 | 144 | SSB | G0IVR/P | 59 | 9 | 57 | 19 | IO91HB | 95 | Correct RX Serial 20 | 0 |
| 05/07/14 | 16:13 | 144 | SSB | GM8FFX | 59 | 10 | 59 | 26 | IO87WB | 631 | 631 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:24 | 144 | SSB | G3PYE/P | 59 | 11 | 59 | 49 | JO02CE | 214 | 214 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:30 | 144 | SSB | G6IPU/P | 59 | 12 | 59 | 48 | JO02QV | 320 | 320 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:33 | 144 | SSB | G8NPH/P | 59 | 13 | 59 | 44 | IO92TH | 185 | 185 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:43 | 144 | SSB | G3CKR/P | 59 | 14 | 59 | 85 | IO93AD | 200 | 200 | |
| 05/07/14 | 16:55 | 144 | SSB | M1BQY/P | 59 | 15 | 59 | 49 | IO81RF | 19 | 19 | |
| 05/07/14 | 17:14 | 144 | SSB | M0MDG/P | 59 | 16 | 59 | 72 | JO00EW | 215 | 215 | |
| 05/07/14 | 17:15 | 144 | SSB | ON4WY | 59 | 17 | 59 | 88 | JO11LC | 390 | 390 | |
| 05/07/14 | 17:35 | 144 | SSB | M0BAA/P | 59 | 18 | 55 | 180 | JO01KJ | 243 | 243 | |
| 05/07/14 | 17:43 | 144 | SSB | G3WIM/P | 59 | 19 | 59 | 89 | IO91XG | 180 | 180 | |
| 05/07/14 | 17:47 | 144 | SSB | G0FBB/P | 59 | 20 | 59 | 143 | JO01LD | 251 | 251 | |
| 05/07/14 | 17:57 | 144 | SSB | EI7T/P | 59 | 21 | 59 | 10 | IO62JI | 332 | 332 | |
| 05/07/14 | 18:00 | 144 | SSB | GW2OP/P | 59 | 22 | 59 | 141 | IO71OP | 152 | 152 | |
| 05/07/14 | 18:03 | 144 | SSB | G8SRC/P | 59 | 23 | 59 | 7 | IO91CL | 59 | 59 | |
| 05/07/14 | 18:16 | 144 | SSB | G5TO/P | 59 | 24 | 59 | 92 | IO93FL | 243 | 243 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:11 | 144 | SSB | 2E0JCO | 59 | 25 | 59 | 1 | IO81MJ | 23 | 23 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:15 | 144 | SSB | M6DUN | 59 | 26 | 59 | 3 | IO81GE | 62 | 62 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:18 | 144 | SSB | 2E0BFJ | 59 | 27 | 59 | 3 | IO80OV | 57 | 57 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:22 | 144 | SSB | G8WSM/P | 59 | 28 | 59 | 15 | IO81MH | 25 | 25 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:27 | 144 | SSB | G0BWC/P | 59 | 29 | 59 | 85 | IO83RO | 246 | 246 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:36 | 144 | SSB | GW5NF | 59 | 30 | 59 | 15 | IO81KQ | 47 | 47 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:41 | 144 | SSB | G8GRS | 59 | 31 | 59 | 10 | IO81QJ | 1 | 1 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:45 | 144 | SSB | G4WBV | 59 | 32 | 59 | 5 | IO81QL | 9 | 9 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:51 | 144 | SSB | G0BWV/A | 59 | 33 | 59 | 2 | IO90OR | 148 | 148 | |
| 05/07/14 | 19:54 | 144 | SSB | M0RHV | 59 | 34 | 59 | 6 | IO81MI | 24 | 24 | |
| 05/07/14 | 20:01 | 144 | SSB | G3TZA | 57 | 35 | 59 | 172 | IO71OP | 152 | 152 | |
| 05/07/14 | 20:06 | 144 | SSB | GW2GOP/P | 58 | 36 | 59 | 174 | IO71OP | 152 | Correct Call GW2OP/P, Correct RX RST 58 | 0 |
| 05/07/14 | 20:09 | 144 | SSB | G3ZNH | 59 | 37 | 59 | 2 | IO81VE | 37 | 37 | |
| 05/07/14 | 20:51 | 144 | SSB | F8FKJ/P | 59 | 38 | 59 | 35 | IN88BK | 341 | 341 | |
| 05/07/14 | 20:52 | 144 | SSB | F5NLG | 59 | 39 | 59 | 21 | IN88IN | 319 | 319 | |
| 05/07/14 | 21:01 | 144 | SSB | 2E0HOQ | 59 | 40 | 59 | 6 | IO81MH | 25 | 25 | |
| 05/07/14 | 21:05 | 144 | SSB | M6LWR | 59 | 41 | 59 | 1 | IO81QJ | 1 | 1 | |
| 05/07/14 | 21:25 | 144 | SSB | GX4ABC | 59 | 42 | 59 | 4 | IO81TP | 33 | 33 | |
| 05/07/14 | 21:30 | 144 | SSB | G0MJP | 55 | 43 | 59 | 14 | IO91VX | 179 | 179 | |
| 05/07/14 | 21:39 | 144 | SSB | G4ZAP/P | 57 | 44 | 55 | 334 | JO01PU | 275 | Correct RX RST 57 | 0 |
| 05/07/14 | 21:48 | 144 | SSB | G0OLE/P | 59 | 45 | 59 | 54 | IO93PX | 315 | Correct RX Serial 59 | 0 |
| 06/07/14 | 07:46 | 144 | SSB | GM3HAM/P | 59 | 46 | 57 | 128 | IO74WV | 402 | 402 | |
| 06/07/14 | 07:47 | 144 | SSB | MM0CPS/P | 59 | 47 | 59 | 145 | IO84BT | 389 | 389 | |
| 06/07/14 | 07:48 | 144 | SSB | G3UDA | 59 | 48 | 59 | 14 | IO82OQ | 144 | 144 | |
| 06/07/14 | 07:50 | 144 | SSB | M0MSZ/M | 59 | 49 | 59 | 7 | IO91AJ | 46 | Correct Call M0MSZ Correct Locator IO91AI |
0 |
| 06/07/14 | 07:58 | 144 | SSB | G4CTU | 59 | 50 | 59 | 27 | IO82UJ | 114 | 114 | |
| 06/07/14 | 08:42 | 144 | SSB | EI9E/P | 59 | 51 | 59 | 165 | IO62OM | 312 | 312 | |
| 06/07/14 | 08:47 | 144 | SSB | GI4GTY/P | 59 | 52 | 59 | 76 | IO74AI | 398 | 398 | |
| 06/07/14 | 08:59 | 144 | SSB | G4HRC/P | 59 | 53 | 59 | 59 | JO01DQ | 204 | 204 | |
| 06/07/14 | 09:05 | 144 | SSB | G8YJM | 59 | 54 | 59 | 8 | IO81RR | 38 | 38 | |
| 06/07/14 | 09:09 | 144 | SSB | G3TZO | 59 | 55 | 59 | 55 | IO83NA | 182 | 182 | |
| 06/07/14 | 09:36 | 144 | SSB | G3KMI/P | 59 | 56 | 59 | 91 | IO91KH | 105 | 105 | |
| 06/07/14 | 09:37 | 144 | SSB | G6DOF | 59 | 57 | 53 | 37 | JO01HN | 226 | 226 | |
| 06/07/14 | 09:45 | 144 | SSB | G0BBB | 59 | 58 | 59 | 64 | IO91BK | 52 | Correct Locator IO91PK | 0 |
| 06/07/14 | 09:52 | 144 | SSB | M0TFO | 59 | 59 | 59 | 7 | IO81TI | 18 | 18 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:00 | 144 | SSB | G8TA/P | 59 | 60 | 59 | 25 | IO82WM | 130 | 130 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:02 | 144 | SSB | G4KKG | 59 | 61 | 57 | 8 | IO80QW | 51 | 51 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:13 | 144 | SSB | G4XPE | 59 | 62 | 54 | 12 | IO92GU | 181 | 181 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:24 | 144 | SSB | G4WLC/P | 59 | 63 | 59 | 32 | IO81WU | 62 | 62 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:33 | 144 | SSB | F1VEO/P | 59 | 64 | 59 | 42 | JN19HG | 441 | 441 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:36 | 144 | SSB | F1CBC | 59 | 65 | 59 | 52 | JN09BO | 278 | 278 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:36 | 144 | SSB | G8VPG | 59 | 66 | 59 | 5 | IO81SJ | 12 | 12 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:42 | 144 | SSB | 2EOGCK | 59 | 67 | 56 | 7 | IO81VN | 34 | Incorrect Call – Letter “O” (Oh) recorded in place of correct figure “0” (zero) | 0 |
| 06/07/14 | 10:53 | 144 | SSB | G6MJG | 59 | 68 | 59 | 4 | IO81XJ | 40 | 40 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:54 | 144 | SSB | G0NKC | 59 | 69 | 59 | 2 | IO80QW | 51 | 51 | |
| 06/07/14 | 10:59 | 144 | SSB | M0KRP | 59 | 70 | 59 | 3 | IO80QW | 51 | 51 | |
| 06/07/14 | 11:18 | 144 | SSB | M0BAO/P | 59 | 71 | 59 | 7 | IO80PT | 65 | 65 | |
| 06/07/14 | 11:27 | 144 | SSB | G4XZL/P | 59 | 72 | 59 | 12 | IO90JO | 133 | 133 | |
| 06/07/14 | 11:29 | 144 | SSB | G7KXZ/P | 59 | 73 | 59 | 12 | IO91GI | 81 | 81 | |
| 06/07/14 | 11:44 | 144 | SSB | G0GQT | 59 | 74 | 59 | 63 | JO01GJ | 220 | 220 | |
| 06/07/14 | 11:47 | 144 | SSB | G5ME/P | 59 | 75 | 59 | 80 | JO01IH | 232 | Correct Call G5MW/P, Correct RX RST 58 | 0 |
| 06/07/14 | 11:52 | 144 | SSB | G3WM/P | 59 | 76 | 59 | 77 | JO01OC | 269 | Not In Log – QSO Not Confirmed | 0 |
| 06/07/14 | 12:10 | 144 | SSB | G0KDV/P | 54 | 77 | 59 | 102 | JO01CJ | 197 | 197 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:18 | 144 | SSB | MW0AXA | 59 | 78 | 59 | 12 | IO81FM | 65 | 65 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:24 | 144 | SSB | G4BMM/P | 59 | 79 | 59 | 23 | IO91TW | 166 | 166 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:26 | 144 | SSB | G3BXF/P | 59 | 80 | 58 | 85 | IO92JJ | 148 | 148 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:27 | 144 | SSB | G4NFS | 59 | 81 | 59 | 9 | IO81RK | 7 | 7 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:29 | 144 | SSB | G0LGS/P | 59 | 82 | 59 | 17 | IO81XW | 72 | 72 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:31 | 144 | SSB | G8CMU | 59 | 83 | 59 | 4 | IO81RW | 61 | 61 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:32 | 144 | SSB | GW4IDF/P | 59 | 84 | 59 | 28 | IO81NV | 58 | 58 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:33 | 144 | SSB | M0RRC/P | 59 | 85 | 59 | 157 | IO91TW | 166 | 166 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:36 | 144 | SSB | G3MEH | 59 | 86 | 59 | 26 | IO91QS | 144 | 144 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:39 | 144 | SSB | G8RCZ/P | 59 | 87 | 59 | 13 | IO70XQ | 127 | 127 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:44 | 144 | SSB | G8BGV/P | 59 | 88 | 59 | 39 | JO01HP | 227 | 227 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:48 | 144 | SSB | G0OVA/P | 59 | 89 | 55 | 35 | IO91QI | 139 | 139 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:50 | 144 | SSB | G4TCU/P | 59 | 90 | 59 | 46 | IO82WJ | 116 | 116 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:51 | 144 | SSB | G4GFI/P | 59 | 91 | 59 | 14 | IO80QR | 74 | 74 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:52 | 144 | SSB | G3RSC/P | 59 | 92 | 59 | 81 | IO92FM | 145 | 145 | |
| 06/07/14 | 12:54 | 144 | SSB | G7LAS/P | 59 | 93 | 59 | 43 | IO92IR | 174 | 174 | |
| 06/07/14 | 13:01 | 144 | SSB | G3IRA | 56 | 94 | 55 | 4 | IO91DM | 65 | 65 | |
| 06/07/14 | 13:11 | 144 | SSB | G0PEK/P | 59 | 95 | 57 | 28 | JO01DH | 203 | 203 | |
| 06/07/14 | 13:34 | 144 | SSB | G0HCP/P | 59 | 96 | 59 | 17 | IO92XF | 200 | 200 | |
| 06/07/14 | 13:53 | 144 | SSB | PA0PVW | 59 | 97 | 59 | 57 | JO22VA | 584 | 584 | |
| TOTALS | 97 | 15104 | 11 Contact(s) lost due to errors | 13361 | ||||||||
| Best DX (Pre-Adjudication): | GM8FFX | 631 | Error Rate = 11.34% | -11.54% | ||||||||
| Best DX (Post-Adjudication): | GM8FFX | 631 | ||||||||||
Debriefing
Discussions after the event centred on a couple of related issues:
- Was the generator up to the job?
- Should we purchase a higher capacity generator for future years?
- If so then what output and what fuel type (2 stroke, 4 stroke, diesel, gas)?
- Should we consider a club project to construct a Field Day trailer with antenna mast, generator and suitable stabilisation and guying arrangements fixed to it?
After a short discussion, the following consensus seemed to emerge:
- The jury is still out on whether or not there was sufficient capacity in the generator for the application, however the fluctuating power output should be looked into, perhaps with a service on what is a brand new but second hand unit.
- The main issues surrounding a new generator, assuming that the current unit is deemed under capacity, are:
- Where is it stored – we have no storage facilities (secure or otherwise) at the Novers Park Community Association adequate for the type of unit envisaged.
- Who is responsible for maintaining the unit – it will undoubtedly spend 363 days of the year in someone’s shed or garage. Come Field Day weekend we will all expect it to arrive on site in a fully functioning form ready to go at the push of a button or the pull of a starter cord.
- Is the capital outlay justified for the likely use – Although special offers are sometimes possible a reasonable 4 stroke petrol generator with a 2kW+ output is likely to cost around £180 – £200. A weekend hire of a similar unit is in the region of £30/weekend. This means that we can hire a generator for 6 years worth of operation for the capital outlay that our own unit would cost and be confident that the unit will be serviced and ready to run each time we get it to the field and not have to store it.
- Given the points above the type of generator was not considered.
- The idea of a Field Day trailer seemed to founder on similar issues, although there was a general belief that the club membership collectively had the requisite skills to construct a Field Day trailer comprising a tilt/telescopic 10m mast, outriggers, axle, suspension and equipment mounting, namely:
- Security – a trailer with mounted toolboxes and generator would require safe storage which is not available at the club, where would this be, who would be responsible for ensuring its security and how would it get to the Field Day site.
- Is there really justification for the construction of such a unit for 2 days in the year?
- Would the additional height actually offer tangible benefits over the current equipment?