VHF Field Day 2024 Predictions

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Summary of Submitted Logs

VHF Field Day took place over the first weekend of July 2024, that’s Saturday 6/Sunday 7. Entrants have 7 days following the end of the contest to submit their logs and claimed scores, after this time the unaudited results of claimed scores is made public.

In the past, we have analysed these preliminary unaudited results as a bit of a laugh to see how we think we’ve done.

This year there were 112 separate callsigns submitting logs as part of the VHF Field Day contest across all bands, although some groups operated more than 1 callsign.

The breakdown by band and class is as follows:

We took part in the Low Power class on both 50MHz (6m) and 144MHz (2m), our direct competitors are other individuals or groups who have also taken part in the Low Power class on one or more of the competition bands.

Our performance on each band we operated on will be measured against all Low Power entries, but our performance in the Low Power class will only be measured against those making a Low Power class entry. The rules limit Low Power class entries to a maximum of 3 bands, any group with a mix of classes will most likely end up in the “Mix and Match” class and will not, therefore, be measured against us.

50MHz Performance

Our 50MHz (6m) operation was compromised both by a later than planned start, an initially high SWR on the antenna and the lack of a rotator.

144MHz Performance

Our provisional second place is a little precarious. The final result will come down to logging accuracy between us and the Hereford ARS team operating GW1YBB/P. The average points/qso is very similar between ourselves and both Hereford ARS teams but noticeably less than both Ripon and District ARS and especially the Northern Fells Contest Group. Despite the disparity between us and the Northern Fells Contest Group our average is better than the other groups in the list in some cases by a greater margin than Northern Fells Contest Group achieved over us.

Low Power Class Performance

Northern Fells Contest Group’s position at the top of the Low Power class is unassailable, with top scores on 2 bands and a close second on the third band they have effectively made a clean sweep. Both Ripon and District ARS and Fareham and District ARC mounted a 3 band entry which will always give them an edge over our 2 band entry.

We are the highest placed entry that didn’t compete on three bands. Fareham and District ARC followed the pattern that we had intended to adopt and scored their best position on 6m, something we achieved last year. Their scores on 70MHz (4m) and 144MHz (2m) were less impressive, however, as they finished well behind us on 144MHz (2m).

We would have needed an additional 577 normalised points, with a fully operational 6m station and the addition of a 4m station overhauling Fareham and District ARC would have been probable but matching Ripon and District ARS would have been more challenging.

Fourth place in the Low Power class looks to be the likely conclusion to this years VHF Field Day, a result that we can be justifiably proud of. However, this is just a bit of fun based on claimed scores. The final result will be confirmed once the logs have been adjudicated