VHF
National Field Day 2023 Rules
General Rules Apply
1. Date/time of contest: 1400 UTC Saturday 6th
July 2024 until 1400 UTC Sunday 7rd July 2024.
2. Site Notification
a. Each Group may wish to pre-register their intentions to operate in the contest, this is not mandatory, but is recomended as it will encourage sweeper entrants to look for you.
Please supply the following details:
(Sweeper stations should not register)
(i)
Name of Club/Group
(ii) Contact name and address/telephone number
in case of query
(iii) Section entered
(iv) Choice of Bands (see section 7)
(v) Call sign for each band
(vi) NGR of site
(vii) Site access information (maps are not
required)
b. Please enter these details here
3. Bands
a. The chosen bands must be selected at
registration time. See individual section rules (see Section 7 of these rules)
for the choice of bands during the contest.
b. There is a free choice of using different
callsigns on all bands, or the same club callsign on
all bands. All entrants must sign /P.
4. Operators
a. Any RSGB member or group of members may
enter.
b. Only groups operating from the British Isles
(excluding the Irish Republic) will be eligible for awards, although a
certificate for the leading overseas entry will be awarded. Also, affiliated
RSGB societies may enter and their operators must be members of the Affiliated
Society (AFS) and/or members of the RSGB themselves.
c. In the case where some operators are AFS
members but not RSGB members themselves, a declaration from an officer of the
AFS that the operators are members of the society is required with the entry.
This must be included in the soapbox or comments part of the entry.
5. Stations
a. All equipment including antennas and
accommodation must be installed on site not more than 24 hours before the
contest.
b. Only portable accommodation can be used to
house the stations.
c. Power for all equipment must be derived from
an on site generator, battery, wind or solar power.
6. Contest exchanges
a. On each band a report, serial number
(starting at 001 on each band) and a 6 character (e.g. IO91OJ) locator must be
exchanged.
b. All times must be logged in UTC
7. Sections
Scoring is 1 point per
kilometre for each QSO in all sections.
7.1 Open section (O):
a. Maximum output power as permitted by
standard licence conditions.
b. General rules apply
b. Operate on any bands from the following
list, but only the best 4 normalised scores will count to the final total:
50MHz (6m) 1400 to 2200 Saturday (all mode)
70MHz (4m) 0800 to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
144MHz (2m) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
432MHz (70cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
mode)
1.3GHz (23cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
mode)
7.2 Restricted section (R):
a. The power output on any band must not exceed
100W PEP at the transmitter, except on 4m where output must be restricted to
50W
b. The height of any part of the antenna's
driven element must not exceed 10 metres above ground level.
c. Only one antenna per band may be used (i.e.
no stacked, bayed or colinear arrays or switching
between two or more antennas). A slot fed Yagi or
Quad antenna is not permitted. Dish or Backfire antennas must not exceed 2m
diameter.
d. Operate on up to 5 bands from the following list:
50MHz (6m) 1400 to 2200 Saturday (all mode)
70MHz (4m) 0800 to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
144MHz (2m) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
432MHz (70cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
mode)
1.3GHz (23cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
mode)
Only the best 4 normalised scores will count to the final total.
Note: other than the selected entry bands,
operation on any other band or bands is not permitted, even for the purposes of
talk-back.
7.3 Low Power section (L):
a. The power output of any band must not exceed
25W PEP at the transmitter, except on 4m where the power output must be
restricted to 10W.
b. The height of any part of the antenna's
driven element must not exceed 10 metres above ground level.
c. Only one antenna per band may be used (i.e.
no stacked, bayed or colinear arrays or switching
between two or more antennas). A slot fed Yagi or
Quad antenna is not permitted. Dish or Backfire antennas must not exceed 2m
diameter.
d. Operate on up to 3 bands from the following
list:
50MHz (6m) 1400 to 2200 Saturday (all mode)
70MHz (4m) 0800 to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
144MHz (2m) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
432MHz (70cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
mode)
1.3GHz (23cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
mode)
Note: other than the selected entry bands,
operation on any other band or bands is not permitted, even for the purposes of
talk-back.
e. Each band may be operated for no more than
16 hours (except for 6m and 4m: see 7.3.d above) during the contest period.
Each rest period must last at least 1 hour.
7.4 Mix and Match (M):
a. A group can elect to place different bands into Restricted, Low-Power or Open sections. E.g. 4m in Restricted, 2m and 70cm in Open, and 23cm in Low Power. This decision must be made at registration time. At least one station (or 2 if entering 5 bands) must be in a different section to the other stations. Only the best 4 normalised scores will count to the final total.
b. Individual band entry will be tabulated in
the appropriate main section, and a normalised score for the band produced on
this basis.
c. The sum of the normalised scores will appear
in a separate Mix & Match section table.
d. Operate on up to 5 bands from the following
list:
50MHz (6m) 1400 to 2200 Saturday (all mode)
70MHz (4m) 0800 to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
144MHz (2m) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
432MHz (70cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
mode)
1.3GHz (23cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
mode)
Note: other than the selected entry bands,
operation on any other band or bands is not permitted, even for the purposes of
talk-back.
e. Note that 2m, 70cm or 23cm stations entered
in the Low Power section may be operated for no more than 16 hours during the
contest period. Each rest period must last at least 1 hour.
7.5 Single Transmitter (MS):
a. Portable stations only
b. Operate on up to 3 bands from the following
list, however simultaneous transmision on more than one band at a time is not
allowed. The chosen bands must be selected during registration and operation on
any other bands is not allowed. Indicated output powers are PEP measured at the
transmitter.
50MHz (6m) 1400 to 2200 Saturday (all modes,
100W maximum output power)
70MHz (4m) 0800 to 1400 Sunday (all modes, 50W
maximum output power )
144MHz (2m) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
modes, 100W maximum output power)
432MHz (70cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
modes, 50W maximum output power)
1.3GHz (23cm) 1400 Saturday to 1400 Sunday (all
modes, 10W maximum output power)
Note: other than the selected entry bands,
operation on any other band or bands is not permitted, even for the purposes of
talk-back.
c. All antennas must be installed on a single
mast and only one antenna for each band may be installed on that mast. Backfire
or parabolic dish type antennas must not exceed 2 metres in diameter. No
stacked or bayed arrays are permitted. The maximum height for any part of the
driven element of any antenna is 12 metres above ground level. Note: a mast of
greater than 12 metres in height is permitted as long as the antenna height
restriction is complied with.
d. All 3 normalised scores will count towards
the final total
See separate FAQ.
7.6 Fixed Station Sweepers:
(i)
Open to fixed stations only. (See Section 3 of general rules for definition)
and the stations restrictions set out in Section 5 do not apply.
(ii) The final score on
each band will be the number of points multiplied by the number of QSOs made
with portable stations hat appear in the final results. A list of "VHF NFD Registrations"
stations can be found at http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfposted.pl?Contest=VHF%20NFD%20Registration
NOTE Sweeper stations must NOT add themselves to the list of registered
stations.
(iii) Entrants may elect to enter
one of 2 sections
FSO:- No power or antenna restrictions
FSR:- The power output on any band must
not exceed 100W PEP at the transmitter, except on 4m where output is restricted
to 50W. Only one antenna per band may be used (i.e. no stacked, bayed or colinear arrays or switching between two or more antennas).
A slot fed Yagi or Quad antenna is not permitted. Dish or
Backfire antennas must not exceed 2m diameter.
(vi)
Operate on up to
5 bands from the following list.
50MHz (6m) 1400 to 2200
Saturday (all mode)
70MHz (4m) 0800 to 1400
Sunday (all mode)
144MHz (2m) 1400 Saturday
to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
432MHz (70cm) 1400 Saturday
to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
1.3GHz (23cm) 1400 Saturday
to 1400 Sunday (all mode)
(vi) An award will be made to the leading
Sweeper in each section on each band and additionally bronze, silver and gold
awards for contacting 40, 60 and 80% of portable VHF NFD stationsi that appear in the pubslihed results
8. Inspections
a. All stations are subject to inspection by
members of the Contest Committee or nominated representatives.
d. The inspector must be given immediate access
to all parts of the site with the right to stay as long as desired, and the
ability to return at any time during the contest.
9. Entries
a. All entries must be uploaded no later than 7
days after the end of the contest
10. Awards.
a. The Surrey, Martlesham,
Arthur Watts and G5BY Trophies will be awarded to the overall winners of the
Open, Restricted, Low Power and Mix & Match sections respectively.
b. The Tartan Trophy will be awarded to the
leading resident Scottish entry in the Open section, the Cockenzie
Quaich to the leading Scottish station in the Restricted Section and the
Scottish Trophy to the leading Scottish entry in the Low power section.
d. Certificates will be awarded to the winners
and runners-up on all bands in each section.