No. This is the one day I never operate. It’s a shit show. Seems to be an excuse for people in the countries with crappy regulation enforcement to fire up their kw+ transmitters and monster HF antennas and blast them past us trying to hit the US.
Different people find "fun" in different things. Field Day is fun for the planning, deployment, and operation of ham stations in the field. Some community outreach, some teamwork, some emergency preparedness, and some good practice.
I agree that actually operating during field day is less fun than at any other time of the year, unless you're in "competitive mode" and are trying to win the most contacts in your class. During these three days, the conversations are very short and mostly all the same, so there's not much "rag chewing" going on.
Field Day can also be fun in the sense that you may get permission to do things that you ordinarily could not do, such as operate a station in a public park, and camp there with it for two nights. Another "fun" element is improvising with what you have, such as setting up a station on the top floor of a parking structure in a metropolitan area.
> Field Day is fun for the planning, deployment, and operation of ham stations in the field. Some community outreach, some teamwork, some emergency preparedness, and some good practice.
All things that can be done at any other point during the year and you have the added benefit of being able to hear other stations.
As someone who only has a 5w transmitter, I avoid field day and major contests. I love doing Parks on the Air when camping, and that ends up being a lot more enjoyable.
anonymousiam|8 months ago
I agree that actually operating during field day is less fun than at any other time of the year, unless you're in "competitive mode" and are trying to win the most contacts in your class. During these three days, the conversations are very short and mostly all the same, so there's not much "rag chewing" going on.
Field Day can also be fun in the sense that you may get permission to do things that you ordinarily could not do, such as operate a station in a public park, and camp there with it for two nights. Another "fun" element is improvising with what you have, such as setting up a station on the top floor of a parking structure in a metropolitan area.
grendelt|8 months ago
All things that can be done at any other point during the year and you have the added benefit of being able to hear other stations.
jimktrains2|8 months ago
grendelt|8 months ago
QRP for FD is like going fishing without a hook. You better enjoy the scenery and getting away from home because you're not going to bring in much.