Hi All,
As we make final preparations for Field Day weekend, I have three quick thoughts I'd like to share...
Whether you are a contester or not, please get on the air and make some Field Day contacts this weekend!
Less than 56 hours from now, Field Day 2015 will be finishing up. Between now and then, groups all over the continent are making final preparations, getting equipment, generators, food, rigs and computers together, antennas airborne, coordinating operating schedules and all the little things that make Field Day go. In many cases they will be on the air for many hours, striving to both show off the amazing hobby of Amateur Radio and turn in a competitive score. It is a huge amount of fun and a heck of a lot of work! Please help reward their great efforts by providing plenty of QSOs for their logs!
Even if you aren't a contester and you only have an hour to spare this weekend from home, please fire up your rig and give as many stations as you can a contact. Every group you call will really appreciate your QSO and it will make their Field Day that much more enjoyable! In addition, you might be able to pick up a few more states towards your Worked All States Award. If you are ambitious, it is very possible that you can achieve the goal of working every state this weekend alone!
For folks new to Field Day, if you are on a single transmitter home station with commercial power, your exchange is simple. You'll simply send your Call, your Class as 1D and your ARRL section. Just be aware you can't call other 1D stations for contest points, but all the other station categories will love for you to give them a call!
If you are new to Field Day, you'll find the complete rules here:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day ?
This video will demonstrate the basics of logging a Field Day contact with my Field Day logging software:
https://youtu.be/DJEIXuoKWqc
You'll find the Field Day logging software here:
http://www.n3fjp.com/fieldday.html
And if you would like to find a local Field Day group, this locator will point the way:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator
Encouraging visitors can change a life (and even affect yours)!
When I was 14 years old, a family friend took my Dad and me to a local Field Day on a Saturday evening. That was my first exposure to Amateur Radio. I didn't understand the significance at the time, but the guys had an amazing run going as we arrived at their site. Still, they took the time to explain what was going on, the exchange and they were completely willing to abandon their run to encourage this shy, 14 year old to take over the mic. I got started, the run resumed and so much was happening I forgot all about being nervous. ?Before I knew it I was having a blast! ?Anyone who has ever been at the bottom of a pile up, running a frequency, knows the thrill. They kindly said I was a natural and I was hooked!
Had it not been for the positive, encouraging spirit of that great group, willing to forego an awesome run for the sake of possibly encouraging a kid, I'd very likely never have become an Amateur Radio operator. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today and there would never have been N3FJP Software for you to use. Those couple hours changed my life and hopefully, through my software, has brought some added enjoyment to yours too!
If you see a visitor with a hint of intrigue in their eye, please offer them that same gracious encouragement that was given to me. It's very possible that you will be helping to shape a destiny and we will all be better for it!
Help for Setting up Field Day Networking.
If you are planning on networking the Field Day software this weekend, hopefully you've already gotten your PCs / network equipment together before now and have that configured to go. If you haven't, do it this evening! You don't want to be troubleshooting Saturday morning with the clock ticking!
For those of you that still have that task ahead, these links will help get you going:
General setup information:
http://www.n3fjp.com/help/networkinghelp.html
Video?demonstrating?how to network my software on multiple PCs:
https://youtu.be/noNyfS4vPlk
How to correct any SQL Command errors:
http://www.n3fjp.com/faq.html#q69
If you are running multiple stations but aren't networking, here is how to combine your log data after the contest:
http://www.n3fjp.com/faq.html#q65
Have Fun!
Kimberly, a couple ham friends and I are planning to run 2E (home station emergency power) from here at the house. We hope to work you this weekend!
Above all, be safe, have fun and enjoy the Field Day experience this weekend! There is nothing else like it!
73, Scott
N3FJP
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Serving the Amateur Radio community with contesting and general logging software since 1997.
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1 Peter 3 vs 15: Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give . But do this with gentleness and respect...
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