AMSAT Field Day 2002 RulesPlease Note: Only 1 FM Voice contact per FM bird 2002 AMSAT Field Day Competition (Revised 3/29/02) It's that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as an emergency preparedness exercise. The event takes place during a 24-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2002 the event takes place during a 27-hour period on the fourth full weekend of June, from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 22, 2002 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 23, 2002 (with a limit of 24 consecutive hours). The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the HAMSATS, held concurrently with the ARRL event. If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellites like UoSat-OSCAR-14 or AMRAD-OSCAR-27 for your HAMSAT Field Day focus, don't, unless you are simply hoping to make one contact for the ARRL rules bonus points. The congestion on UO-14 and AO-27 was so intense in 2000 that some stations running over 100 Watts on the two-meter uplink to high-gain Yagi antennas could not make a single contact. We will repeat the one-QSO-per-FM-satellite rule this year, as this plan worked so well in 2001. However, we are going to add the International Space Station to the one QSO limit. You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is operating Voice. You will also be allowed one digital QSO with the ISS and PCSat. W6NWG de KK5DO 2A STX If you have worked the satellites on Field Day in recent years, you may have noticed that a lot of good contacts can be made on some of the less-populated, low-earth-orbit satellites like Fuji-OSCAR-20, Fuji-OSCAR-29 and RS-12/13. During Field Day the transponders come alive like 20 meters on a weekend. The good news is that the transponders on these satellites will support multiple simultaneous contacts. The bad news is that you can't use FM, just low duty-cycle modes like SSB and CW. AMSAT-OSCAR-10 can also be a lot of fun on Field Day if the solar panels are properly illuminated and it is in a good position in the sky for Field Day. And, of course, the big news this year is AO-40, expected to be very, very popular. Plot some orbits and check it out. THE 2002 AMSAT FIELD DAY RULES The AMSAT Field Day 2002 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators. Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both analog and digital. Note that no points will be credited for any contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each single-channel FM satellite. Operators are encouraged not to make any extra contacts via theses satellites (Ex: UO-14 & AO-27). CW contacts and digital contacts are worth three points as outlined below. 1. Analog Transponders - Each satellite transponder is considered a separate band. 2. Digital Transponders For the Pacsats (LO-19, UO-22, etc.), each satellite is considered a separate band. Do not post "CQ" messages. Simply upload ONE greeting message to each satellite and download as many greeting messages as possible from each satellite. The subject of the uploaded file should be posted as Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL. The purpose of this portion of the competition is to demonstrate digital satellite communications to other Field Day participants and observers. The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts. (a) Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite). Satellite digipeat QSO's and APRS short-message contacts are worth three points each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. Remember, only one digipeat contact is allowed for the ISS and one for PCSat. The use of terrestrial gateway stations to uplink/downlink is not allowed. If FO-29 is active, the JA transponder can be used for analog CW and phone activities under the analog transponder rules, and the JD system can be used as a separate transponder under the digital rules. Sample Satellite Field Day Greetings File: Greetings from W5BTS Field Day Satellite station near Katy, Texas with 20 participants, operating class 2A, in the AMSAT-Houston group with the Houston Amateur Television Society and the Houston QRP club. All the best and 73! Note that the message stated the call, name of the group, operating class, where they were located (the grid square would be helpful) and how many operators were in attendance. 3. Operating Class Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field Day rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected to commercial power. On the report form simply check off Emergency or Commercial for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL operating class (2A, 1C, etc.). AND FINALLY... The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition results to Make sure to also send your Field Day photographs with your submission! The deadline for submissions is August 1, 2002. You can also send your entry sheet and digital photos via e-mail to kk5do@amsat.org. The first-place emergency power/portable station will receive a plaque at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in Ft. Worth, TX, November 8-9, 2002. Certificates will be awarded for second and third place portable/emergency operation in addition to a certificate for the first-place home station running on emergency power. Stations submitting high, award-winning scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and message listings for digital downloads. You may have multiple rig difficulties, antenna failures, computer glitches, generator disasters, tropical storms, and there may even be satellite problems, but the goal is to test your ability to operate in an emergency situation. Try different gear. Demonstrate satellite operations to hams that don't even know that the HAMSATS exist. Test your equipment. Avoid making more than ONE contact via the FM-only voice HAMSATS or the ISS, and enjoy the event!
AMSAT Satellite Summary Sheet - 2002
Analog Satellite Operation
CW Phone
Satellite/Mode QSO's QSO's
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| Multiplier | x 3 | x 1 |
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| Analog Subtotals | | |
|____________________________________|____________|___________|
Digital Satellite Operation
Satellite Upload/Downloads
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| Multiplier | x 3 |
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| Digital Subtotal | |
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Score Calculation
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| Analog CW Subtotal (above) | |
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| Analog Phone Subtotal (above) | |
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| Digital Subtotal (above) | |
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| GRAND TOTAL | |
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Your Field Day Callsign_______________________________________
Your Group Name_______________________________________________
ARRL Field Day Classification_____________Section_____________
Power Source: Emergency_______________Commercial_____________
Your name and home call_______________________________________
Home address__________________________________________________
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Comments______________________________________________________
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