ARRL Field Day 2022...

Now, last year, after Field Day finished, I wrote that I wouldn't take part in it again due to the silly rule changes the ARRL had made because of Covid 19 that ended up making a total mockery of Field Day.   Then early this year I commented, negatively, about the ARRL voting to make these silly rule changes permanent because it had allowed so many more hams to take part....never mind the poor operating habits and bad behaviour those changes had encouraged.

I still think they are silly rule changes, nobody will change my mind on that.  It's called "Field Day"....not "Sit at home and operate from the comfort of your Shack Day".  Field Day is supposed to make you think, and operate, outside the box.  It was designed to make you travel to, and operate portable from an unprepared location, and then compare your results against those of the other participants who had done exactly the same as you had.

This is now hard to do when operating from a temporary field location, operating from batteries, using less than optimum wire antennas, when the people you're comparing yourself too are using 1500 watts with professionally installed towers and beams...all from the comfort of their normal home shacks.  It seems to me that the whole spirit of Field Day has been thrown away in order to make the event "bigger and better".

This year I have decided that I will in fact operate during the event.  I have been invited to Northumberland County to take part in a QRP Field Day.  You know, 5w maximum, and only home-brewed wire antennas allowed.  I'm going to have fun, tell tall tales and swop lies with friends I haven't seen in two years, and I will ignore those lazy individuals who decided to stay home and operate from the comfort of their own homes instead of following the true Spirit of Field Day.

It's going to be fun.

Stay Safe Out There!