Chuck Claver wrote:
>
> Hmmm.... maybe Ken, N4UK, has a valid point, but I would like to offer a
> brief rebuttal.
>
> Supose during a real disaster those 20 or so hams are only able to put up a
> station(s) that comes up with only 10% of the set-up Ken describes. Then,
> what you have is an outstanding capability for handling messages under
> marginal
> conditions. The point being that in real disasters nothing ever goes
> according
> to some pre-planned script and you never end up with things the way you
> would really like.
>
> It has been pointed out here before that big signal contest stations do have
> a place in handling emergency traffic.
>
> Finally, perhaps the efforts of the 20 or so described taught a few more
> hams where gazinta and gazouta are on an amplifier.
>
> So, I do not agree that Field Day has become a joke. I for one, was glad to
> have a few big hitters around - they were the only stations at times able to
> hear the 5 watts converted from the sun I was putting into the wire.
>
> Chuck
> de NJ6D
>
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Exactly right. It was never created to be a contest, per se. It was
intended to be an emergency
preparedness exercise. Which means, the priority is to get the mail
thru anyway you can via amateur radio.
Packet and packet networks should certainly be a part of that effort.
The one suggestion I have is to make all class D stations S&P only.
Since they arent supposed to work each
other in the first place, I dont think they should be given the
opportunity to monopolize bandwidth by endlessly running on a
frequency. Not only that, but it's irritating to the other D class
stations who are trying to work the field operations, etc., and end up
calling another D station, which they dont find out about til after the
QSO is almost over. I'm certainly not saying it was a big problem this
year, I'm just saying let's not turn this into another typical
stay-at-home bone-crusher contest. Let's give the "little-guys" a
chance to have some fun and be heard.
73, Tyler K3MM
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