RSGB National Field Day 2012

PLEASE NOTE: Rules for RSGB Field Days are under review.
This could affect rules numbered 3, 4 and 5. Please check back after 29 February 2012 for changes.

CW Field Day 2012 -- an excellent club activity with varied areas of expertise required, such as antenna design, construction and erection, generator maintenance and, increasingly, computer expertise. Give your CW operators some support!

The QRP section is limited to 12 hours of operation. This should assist groups who have difficulty in finding operators to cover the night shift.

Pre-registration for Field Day is not an absolute requirement, but clubs are encouraged to do so, in order to qualify for awards.

1. Basic Information

The General Rules apply to this contest

Date: 2-3 June 2012

Time: 1500 - 1500UTC

Bands: 1.8, 3.5, 7, 14, 21 & 28MHz.

Mode: CW

Exchange: RST + Serial number.

2. Registration

In order that inspections can be arranged, each group intending to compete must send details of the site to be used to: Q. G. Collier G3WRR, QTHR, or via email, to arrive no later than 15 May 2012. Details must include the name and address of the person responsible for the entry; section to be entered; name of group; callsign(s) to be used; national grid reference and sufficient access information to enable an inspector to locate the site. In the event of a late change of site, it is the responsibility of the members of the group to make suitable arrangements for the inspector to find the new site. Groups not registering may take part in Field Day but will not be eligible for awards. All stations are subject to inspection by representatives of the RSGB Contest Committee, whose brief will be to ensure that the rules and spirit of the contest are being observed. The inspector must be given immediate access to the site and may make return visits.

3. Sections

All Sections are multi-operator. This is a portable contest as defined in the General Rules.

(a) Open Section. There is no restriction on the number or type of antennas, but the maximum height must not exceed 20m.
(b) Restricted Section. One antenna only which must be a single element having not more than two elevated supports and not exceeding 11m above ground at its highest point.
(c) Low Power Section. Same as the Restricted Section with power further limited to 10W output. Additionally, this section has a time limit of 12 hours. Off-periods must be a minimum of one hour and should be listed on the summary sheet or Soapbox section of the Cabrillo header.

4. Operators

(a) Any RSGB member or group of members may enter.
(b) Affiliated RSGB societies may enter and their operators must be RSGB Members, or members of the Affiliated Society. In the case where some operators are not members of the RSGB, an officer of the Affiliated Society must state that these operators are members of the Society. This declaration must be included in the Soapbox part of the entry.
(c) Entries will only be accepted from groups operating within the UK. Other stations are invited to submit check logs.

5. Equipment

Transmitter power output must not exceed 100 watts (10W in Section (c)).

(a) Open Section: One transmitter and two receivers. The receiver section of a second transceiver may be used as the second receiver if desired, so long as the transmitter section is disabled for the duration of the contest. Unused receiver sections must also be disabled for the duration of the contest.

(b) and (c) Restricted and Low Power Sections: One transmitter and one receiver or one transceiver. Both receivers in a dual receive transceiver may be used if desired.

In all Sections, equipment and antennas for packet radio access above 30MHz may also be used if desired.

6. Frequencies

Contest preferred segments must be observed, so on 80m operate only between 3510 and 3560kHz, and on 20m only between 14010 and 14070kHz.

7. Scoring

For contacts with
Fixed stations in Europe (including UK): 2 points.
Fixed stations outside Europe: 3 points.
Portable and Mobile stations in Europe (including UK): 4 points.
Portable and Mobile stations outside Europe: 6 points.

Contacts on 1.8MHz and 28MHz are scored as above and then multiplied by two to obtain the band score.
Points must not be claimed for contacts made by a competing station with members of its own group.

8. Logs

Online entries must be submitted to the robot by the date specified in the General Rules. Disk and online entries must be in Cabrillo format.

Example of CW Field Day Contest log.


9. Awards


The National Field Day Trophy to the overall leading station.
The Bristol Trophy to the station having the leading score in the other Section.
The Reading QRP Trophy to the leading station in the QRP Section.
The Scottish Trophy to the leading Scottish station.
The Gravesend Trophy to the runnerup in the Restricted Section.
The G6ZR Memorial Trophy to the runner-up in the Open Section.
The Frank Hoosen, G3YF, Trophy to the leading station on the 14MHz band.
Certificates of Merit to first, second and third in each Section and to the band leaders in each Section.
Certificate for the non-UK station in each continent whose check log shows the most points contributed to UK stations.