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1-10 of 25 messages
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Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by VE3TWM on June 30, 2009
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Hello fellow hams,
For the past 2 years, I have operated field day (SSB only) with a Par End-Fedz EF-20m and an EF-40m. The Par antennas work well in my very small backyard, and centre fed antennas I have used in the past have resulted in RFI problems with the neighbours so I have to avoid those. The rig I use is an Icom IC-718 with no SSB filter. I do use the RF Gain, IF Shift and attenuator constantly to overcome crowded band conditions.
I run Field day in a suburban setting in my backyard. I run commercial power but set up a tent and the antennas on the Saturday morning and work the contest outside in this manner. I am therefore a 1D station. In my Field Day efforts, I do not run 24 hours, but run from 2:00pm local to approx. 11:00pm local Saturday, then from approx. 7:00am local to 2:00 local Sunday.
In 2008, the two Par antennas were set up as flattops approx. 18' above the ground in a suburban environment. I made 65 contacts on 40m and 85 contacts on 20m.
This year, I added Par End End-Fedz for both 15m and 10m even though we are at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, in the hopes at least 15m would be open so I could increase my QSO rate to allow me to make more QSOs during the contest (I don't submit a log so I don't calculate points but use number of QSOs as the benchmark).
For the 2009 contest, I had the antennas set up as follows:
- EF-40m set up as a horizontal L at about 18' (necessary to fit within the confines of my backyard)
- EF-20m as a sloper with the high end at approx. 35' and the low end at approx. 20'
- EF-15m as a sloper with the high end at about 30' and the low end at about 20'
- EF-10m as a sloper with the high end at about 25' and the low end at about 20'.
I ended up with
63 contacts on 40m
105 contacts on 20m
2 contacts on 10m
2 contacts on 15m
I had hoped for 200+ contacts but after 2 straight years of total contacts well below 200 I am re-thinking my strategy.
So now I am reaching out to the ham community for suggestions that would help me increase my QSO count for next year. Any positive suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your consideration and 73,
Tracy McKim VE3TWM
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by N4OGW on June 30, 2009
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1) Get your antennas higher up, try for around 50 ft. If you don't have room in your back yard, go somewhere else with big trees. It will not be that much more work if you are already going to the trouble of putting up a tent.
2) Add 80/75m
3) Consider operating cw. It is much more effective when you have a weak signal.
4) Operate some other contests throughout the year. Practice helps.
Tor
N4OGW
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by N4OGW on June 30, 2009
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One more comment: if center-fed antennas result in "rfi problems", the reason may be that they are actually radiating a stronger signal. One more reason to go operate somewhere else.
Tor
N4OGW
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by WW0AL on June 30, 2009
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Are you setting up on a quiet frequency and calling CQ?
You can only get so many contacts "searching and pouncing". I ran the GOTA station for our club and with a brand new operator on Saturday night we ran 133 straight contacts on 10 meters calling CQ in about an hour and a half.
The beauty of calling CQ is that you are only calling those who can hear you. And the great majority of casual contesters tune around looking for CQs rather than running a frequency, so you greatly expand the number of people who you could connect with.
For field day most everyone is using wire or low antennas, and 100 watts, so your set-up should be pretty competitive. The Par antennas are terrific, and when set up as verticals do not need to be elevated much at all.
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by K5TR on June 30, 2009
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I will agree with calling CQ. In my experience many new contesters do not try calling CQ enough or long enough. Try for several minutes before giving up on the frequency or CQ attempt.
George - K5TR
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by K5TR on June 30, 2009
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As for antennas. I really like resonate half wave coax fed dipoles. They are hard to beat in just about any
configuration: flat top, sloper, vertical, inverted V etc. You can also have more than one band off of a feed point. Give them a try.
George - K5TR
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by N5LRZ on July 1, 2009
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There is your problem right there in your first paragraph...
"For the past 2 years, I have operated field day (SSB only) "
Voice aka SSB is the worse way in the world to do Field Day. Its slow, contacts per min rate is not good, and on top of that you only get one single point for the contact.
GO THE CW route and you will note an immediate increase in your contacts per min. You will in addition get two points (twice as many points) for each contact.
Cannot do CW very well, dont be ashamed. If you cannot do CW then go the PSK or RTTY route. Set up three text formats on three tabs of your digital hardware: CQ, Reply (give them all the same RST), and a very very quick goodby. Your rate will not be as fast as CW but it will be much faster compared to phone and I do believe I read where digital also gets 2 points per contact. Three clicks per contact--1 call 2 send very quick report with minimum fluff 3 good by see ya. Go back step one.
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by WX7G on July 2, 2009
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N4OGW is correct. If the center fed antennas cause RFI while the end fed PARS don't, the PARS may not be radiating much signal.
I work 500 stations running 5 watts of CW. 100 watts of SSB should do as well. This is 100% Search and Pounce. 80, 40, 20, and 15 meters.
Sounds like an antenna issue or operating style.
Search and Pounce is fine for 100 W SSB. After a few Q's you will know what signal strength station can hear you. For example, if a station below S-5 cannot hear you don't bother calling such stations. This allows you to run thru a band quickly, picking out the stations that will work you. Then change bands. Then change bands again. I change bands every about every 30 minutes or more often. When they are milked out; 20 meters, then 15, then 40. If might go like so: 20 Q's on 20 meters, 5 on 15 meters. 10 on 40 meters and back to 20 meters. This lets the band 'freshen up' while you are away.
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by N2EY on July 4, 2009
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Here's how to improve your results:
1) Go out in the field. Do FD alone, with another ham, or with a local club or group.
2) Put up better and higher antennas. (This is a major reason to go to a field location; one can often have much better antennas away from home.) The antennas you have aren't bad, but a good dipole 40-60 feet up will do much better.
3) Use CW.
4) Refine your operating skills.
It does not take a super station to get good FD results, but it does take a GOOD station.
Here's what can be done, from personal experience:
This year I went with a group that ran five HF rigs plus a VHF station. The HF rigs were 100 watt class transceivers feeding multiband dipoles at 50 feet or so.
One rig was all-CW, three rigs were all-SSB, one rig shared SSB and digital. The VHF rig made 20 phone QSOs on 6 meters.
We made 710 phone, 580 CW and 85 digital QSOs.
I've also done FD single-handed. Best I ever did was in 1995, when I used a homebrew 100 watt CW transceiver on 80/40/20, plus a 2 meter rig. Antennas were an 80/40 inverted V at 40 feet and 20 meter and 2 meter groundplanes. 629 CW and 11 2 meter QSOs.
73 de Jim, N2EY
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RE: Suggestions for improving my Field Day results?
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by KB3LIX on July 4, 2009
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"You can only get so many contacts "searching and pouncing"
Don't believe the above, it is PURE HORSE HOCKEY.
When I work contests, I do STRICTLY S & P.
Field Day this year, I did a 1D, with 100w a verical and a homemade wire doublet.
Made over 400 Q's during the period. ALL S & P
I did have to delete over 50 because they were 1D to 1D, and a D class cannot count Q's with another D class.
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