MSGID: 1:135/250@fidonet 68b4fa0d   
   PID: C-NET AMIGA BBS 5.36b   
     How many people out there participate in Winter Field Day?   
      
   I have only had the opportunity to work WFD 2024 due to being out of the   
   country and inactive for 14 years.  I had fun, and I think it is a great   
   idea.  However the group that runs it does seem to be a bit full of themselves.   
      
   The amount of effort that is wasted screaming that IT IS NOT A CONTEST is a   
   bit stupid.  Call it what you want, but like sailing *Any time you see another   
   boat in front of you, you're racing!*  Get a bunch of hams and tell them to   
   make as many contacts in a specified amount of times, you have a contest on   
   your hands.   
      
   Some of their rules are a bit daft, such as this years NEW multiplier.  "   
   Operate six continuous hours during the event: Emergencies may last days or   
   even weeks. You may be expected to man a radio station between 4-12 hours if   
   you are operating alone or in shifts. Can you sit and operate for extended   
   periods of time with enough backup power? This does not necessarily mean you   
   are making contacts the whole time, but you are in front of the radio,   
   monitoring, and ready to pick up a microphone if you are called. OM x2"   
      
   Come on.. I am in my 50s, I can't sleep through an 8 hour strech without   
   getting up and going to the bathroom!  Does that mean I lose the multipler?    
   When asked for clarification, not was really given...   
      
   Had another guy suggest that they make the exchange more geared to an actual   
   EMCOM excercise.   We have X beds full, X beds available, need food for X.    
   While that might work for small scale localized EMCOM drill, could you imagine   
   the non WARC bands filled with such traffic?   
      
   Not to mention one of the main points of field day is to entice people to get   
   out and operate, that normally would not operate a contest while learning new   
   modes and skills.  How much of a turn off do you think it will be for new or   
   non really active operators if they have to send long formal messages?   
      
   How would you incorporate that into FT8/FT4?   
      
   I think ARRL Field Day does a good job of introducing you to formal traffic by   
   giving you multiplers for sending properlly formatted NTS traffic through   
   WINLINK or a traffic net.  I had a blast getting that multipler during the   
   ARRL Field Day, and enjoyed hearing from my friends/family that the messages   
   were recieved.   
      
   When I replied to them, that if I had to submit proof of 6 hours of continuous   
   monitoring my station, they would be getting pictures of the bottles, and that   
   the rules should follow the format of other contests, IE.. You must work X   
   hours, allowing for Y breaks not to exceed Z and clearly visable in the log.    
   Otherwise I will just check the multipler and move on.   
      
   They basically told me they have the right to ban people who they suspect of   
   cheating.   
      
   Great, BAN ME!  You are not the only contest on the block.  If you want to   
   play word games, I have a pocket full of quarters.   
      
   I was then banned from the FB group.   
      
   Seems to me, that this is another GREAT amateur radio idea that gets ruined   
   because the organizers get too big for their britches! Sad.   
      
   Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)   
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   --- CNet/5   
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