total.pardo

for those of you not so inclined, Region 2 (North America) amateur radio operators had their vaunted Field Day preparedness event contest this past weekend.  the telling quote regarding this exercise is from wikipedia:

Field Day is an annual amateur radio exercise, widely sponsored by IARU regions and member organizations, encouraging emergency communications preparedness among amateur radio operators. In the United States, it is typically the largest single emergency preparedness exercise in the country, with over 30,000 operators participating each year.

yes, i understand the need to wrap a contest around the test of emergency preparedness. what i don’t understand is the audacity and downright rudeness of the amateur in general. would less people operate if there were no contest aspect to this exercise?

the day’s high lowlights:

• tune to 14.280 MHz.  listen for 3 minutes to static.  send out the obligatory gentlemen’s agreement query, “is the frequency in use?”  wait.  upon no response, send out the general CQ call.  get back a cocky - “thanks for asking if the frequency is in use” comment – with the expected cream-on-the-cake desultory tone.
• tune to 14.325 MHz.  listen to an american southern-sounding voice drone on:  CQ CQ CQ for the “no contest” contest – stations not participating in field day call now – QRzed.  over and over.  then, when a person calls, and asks why, the inevitable battering begins.
• tune to 14.175. listen to an argument between several “rag-chewers” (an example of a rag chewing group is http://www.ragchewers.net/about.html DISCLAIMER – this group was not at the root of the described issue – I use them to help my reader understand what a group of rag chewers is.) regarding their “ownership” of the frequency in question.  last i looked part 97 has no codicil offering exclusivity to any single group or operator.

the level of hate, impatience, and ignorance was despicable.  i am lucky enough to have a few hams at my work with which to discuss this issue – and they agree the activity on 20 meters was higher than it has been in years.  one comment regarding cockroaches was telling - “this contest brings out the ‘extras’” – the no-code, test takers who don’t know the difference between a dipole and and a diphthong. 

i operated from home – designated 1D station – meaning i operated only one transceiver  (i own and regularly operate several) on commercial power.  i did operate 1E for about an hour – that designation meant i used emergency power.  i understand the purpose of field day – it does serve to allow hams to practice skills necessary to justify the existence of the hobby.  i don’t understand the rudeness and sense of entitlement.  its a shame.

final tally for me – 48 contacts on 20m.  20 of them were under the 1E designator.

i was offered two different sites to go out and help with club station operations.  the 95 degree weather kept me home.  the indifference and hate will keep me away from the event going forward.