An example of how to make women not participate in your Field Day event

[AE5CP]

I saw this the other day when looking for details on how other clubs organize field day: http://barconline.org/fieldday/

Specifically this passage:


"The Ladies will be doing a few things. They will be learning how to log on a computer, how to do contests, sending formal message traffic, and they will be making a tiger tail for their handheld radios to increase their handhelds performance. They will be shown how to do contest logging and will have an opportunity do logging in the command trailer or just watch the logging being done. These activities have been coordinated by Shirley Larsen AD7HL.The BARC board want to thanks her for all of her efforts. To contact her about the Ladies Field Day Activites or any other Ladies Ham Activities please contact here at lar****@yahoo.com"

Wow.
I showed this to my wife, wondering how she would react.
She said she would probably punch Shirley in the throat.
That is the most condescending thing I have read in a long time.

[KJ3N]

That is the most condescending thing I have read in a long time.

You don't get on QRZ much, do you?

[AE5CP]

Never.
I pretty much avoid that site.

[NA4BH]

They left off making sammiches.

[K7SGJ]

They left off making sammiches.

I'll make a sammich for you.....

[W3WN]

Considering where this club is located, I have to wonder...

What if the ham's other wive(s) wants to actually operate? :evil:

And all kidding aside... whomever wrote that (obviously thinking of ham's wives who are not all that interested in ham radio, and yes, it was extremely condescending and patronizing. To say nothing of insulting.) needs to get his head out of his butt... or at least out of the late 19th century and into the 21st.

[AE5CP]

I could use a sammich.

I think that one page may have sparked an interest in my wife to actually operate this year. She hasn't operated in field day before, but has expressed interest in getting a license.

Aside from the 19th century attitude these guys are missing some obvious advantages that come with having women operate. We had a news reporter come one year and we got her on and in the middle of a big pileup she called one time and got called back by an operator. He didn't even catch her call, but he just said "whoever the YL is, go ahead". She operated for about 10 more contacts and all of them were in on the first call.
All the operators she came across pretty much rolled out the red carpet for her.

[K7SGJ]

I could use a sammich.

I think that one page may have sparked an interest in my wife to actually operate this year. She hasn't operated in field day before, but has expressed interest in getting a license.

Aside from the 19th century attitude these guys are missing some obvious advantages that come with having women operate. We had a news reporter come one year and we got her on and in the middle of a big pileup she called one time and got called back by an operator. He didn't even catch her call, but he just said "whoever the YL is, go ahead". She operated for about 10 more contacts and all of them were in on the first call.
All the operators she came across pretty much rolled out the red carpet for her.

I think you may be in the minority of having a wife that gives a rats ass about field day, or any other participation in ham radio activities.

[n0iu]

I think you may be in the minority of having a wife that gives a rats ass about field day, or any other participation in ham radio activities.

I had already been licensed for quite a while when I met Mrs. NØIU. So after she sees me operate (No, I am not a doctor and I don't play one on TV!), she asks, "Can I get a license?"

"Sure, no problem. All you have to do is pass a 35 question multiple-guess test and voila, you're a Technician"

Sure enough, after about a week of "studying", she got her Tech ticket in December 2000. She passed on her first try. To this day, she has NEVER been on the air... ever! Not even once! She even renewed her license!

So why did she do it? Just to prove to me that she could!

[XE1/N5AL]

...in the middle of a big pileup she called one time and got called back by an operator. He didn't even catch her call, but he just said "whoever the YL is, go ahead". She operated for about 10 more contacts and all of them were in on the first call.
All the operators she came across pretty much rolled out the red carpet for her.
Yeah, if you can get XYLs, YLs or kids to operate your field day station, it's like adding 3 to 6dB gain in your station's transmit path.

[kb2vxa]

True, a female voice is a wave magnet, kids not so much, but still better than the usual run of the mill stuff. Oh, it helps to think up some oddball phonetics like We're Two Dirty Old Rats even if the dirty old rats disapprove. (;->) Not so much with Kilo Two Voice Of America... meh.

Anyhoo, if BARF doesn't turn off female operators nobody can, I'd punch that biotch in the throat too! Then there's this funny bit: "We will have a POT LUCK DINNER...Barbecue Beef , Barbecue Chicken, Buns, Hot Dogs for Kids and Soft Drinks. ...Casseroles, Salads, Chips, or Desserts." This is pot luck? It looks like a complete menu to me, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Don't mind me if this silliness reminds me of a picture I took at a JSARS Field Day a few years ago, here's one of those dirty old rats.

[XE1/N5AL]

A couple of the hams in our club (near Atlanta) have kids (male & female) who are hams, also. They are pre-teen/early teen in age and love to work Field Day, because they can stay up as late as they want. In fact, when all the adult operators are all tuckered-out, the kids keep on going. Apart from Field Day, these kids really aren't that active on the ham bands. On Field Day, however, they are serious operators -- no joking around, or cutting-up as they rack up the points!

I've always admired the moms and dads of these young hams, for getting them involved in a hobby where their whole family can participate.

BTW, the club usually takes first place within their Field Day operating category (lately as "4AC"). Although, they placed second, in 2012.

[N8YX]

YLs and XYLs have long been the secret weapon of a number of area clubs which I've operated with over the years. Whenever 'DSG and I operated FD from her parents' old place I would park her on 10M SSB (if the band was up) and turn her loose while I worked 15M or lower. Guaranteed points.

[W3WN]

Since we're on the subject of Field Day...

If there's any Islander within reasonable driving distance of Pittsburgh, who would like to participate in FD but don't have a group to hang out with (or don't want to go it alone, etc etc)... consider yourselves invited to the N3SH FD op in South Park.

Those interested, PM me for details. Those not interested, thank you for your time, now GOML.

[N2CHX]

Wow. I had written out a post responding to this yesterday but then got the nice database error when I went to post it.

Anyway, yeah I'd punch her in the throat too. What a load of bullshit.

[N2CHX]

Ron, I've never worked field day. I'm interested, depending on what weekend it is.

[W3WN]

Ron, I've never worked field day. I'm interested, depending on what weekend it is.June 28 & 29

Always the 4th full weekend in June.

And thanks to the calendar this year, FD weekend does NOT correspond with Little Miss Field Day's birthday. It does, however, correspond with the Mets @ Pirates game on the 28th, but that's a 4:05 PM start, so I'll be around for setup, and back for the late shift.

[KG4CGC]

Yeah, if you can get XYLs, YLs or kids to operate your field day station, it's like adding 3 to 6dB gain in your station's transmit path.

Beat me to it!

[N2ADV]

You don't get on QRZ much, do you?
*snicker*

[K0RGR]

Hmmm... the activities in the OP article were organized by a female ham, so I'm not sure who is really to blame here. It's also Utah.

[WØTKX]

http://www.vicompmgt.com/photos/mhawk/moronihawk-2307a.JPG

[W9JEF]

.


http://media2.kshb.com//photo/2010/07/07/Woman_charged_in_murde85a9a065-9bd9-4d43-9255-af38706119e50000_20100707192427_640_480.JPG (http://www.kshb.com/news/region-missouri/northland/target-of-alleged-murder-for-hire-plot-talks-about-ex-wife)

[kb2vxa]

An advert for Come Blow Your Horn with a hawk? Well, you can't miss the point!

Anyhoo, kids aren't the only ones who stay up all night on Field Day, the best fun comes on the graveyard shift when the rest of the crew conks out and those still alive on 75M are punch drunk and silly. Things get pretty laid back and conversational when you're not under pressure to rack up points too. FD hams are especially creative, like the one who never used a paddle, so he held it sideways and used it as a straight key as I logged on the computer for him. Then there was the 3el tri-band beam with a HUGE American flag on top I helped to put up, on a 40ft aluminium extension ladder. The food at that one was the best ever, our professional chef shot the works, with a commercial stove jetted for propane. Then that night things got interesting, a sudden thunderstorm came up, you should have seen all the cables flying out of the tents and campers! Lighting was provided by a centrally located light trailer with one of four 1,000W HID lamps lit leaving 4KW of AC for the equipment with the rest powered by another 5KW generator trailer, both behind a folding sound proof barrier. The funny part of that one (not for their husbands) was driving the XYLs home every time they had to pee, the men and a few not so prissy YLs and XYLs made the short walk into the woods to water the Bushes, daddy George H. W. and the kids, Gee Dubya wadja say? and Jeb. Call it irony, it was PARC, the Catpissaway... er... PIScataway... uh... ah the hell with it... a really cool radio club in New Jersey.

[AE5CP]

Those are the good field days.
I also enjoy hearing the clubs on the radio that are more drunk than punch.
I haven't participated in one that was not in a public park or an EOC, so I can't say how enjoyable that would be.
Field day brings back good memories, the first time I ever operated as a ham was in a Field Day event with a local club. I have been going ever since.
When I joined my current club, they were looking for ways to get the logging taken care of and I said "let me take care of that". They liked the logging so much that the next year they asked me to organize the whole event. Before I participated they almost did not have a field day because there was a lack of interest, but after I sorted their logging issues and showed interest the interest level overall came up. This will be my third year leading the charge, and I think the participation will be higher than it has in almost 10 years.

[W2NAP]

what is this I don't even.....

[n2ize]

Ron, I've never worked field day. I'm interested, depending on what weekend it is.

The other day I saw an add explaining how we still to this date have a tendency to discourage girls from going into the sciences and the technologies. They said something to the effect that a large percentage of girls show an interest in these subjects yet only around 12% ever get into these fields. Many are discouraged, made to feel that science and technologies are a "man's world". While this was true in the 1950's 60's etc. where women were rarely found in the technologies and sciences and often relegated to assembly line or clerical work. While this attitude is changing it is ridiculous that these stereotypes still exist to this day.

[n2ize]

Ron, I've never worked field day. I'm interested, depending on what weekend it is.

I worked an organized field day once. It was the first and last time for me. To me "field day" should be going way out to a remote location, hanging a wire in a birch tree or a pine tree, and operating using some kind of portable rig, maybe even something home brew and/or QRP.

[n2ize]

a sudden thunderstorm came up, you should have seen all the cables flying out of the tents and campers! Lighting was provided by a centrally located light trailer with one of four 1,000W HID lamps lit leaving 4KW of AC for the equipment with the rest powered by another 5KW generator trailer,

And the lightning was provided by God.

[KØWVM]

Never.
I pretty much avoid that site.

That is childsplay with what that lady said compared to the behavior over in QRZ land...

[kb2vxa]

"I also enjoy hearing the clubs on the radio that are more drunk than punch."
Maybe not a club, but the Yaaay Emmm Gangstas found mostly on 3885 +/- have been entertaining since 1965, WA1 Henry Yell Arrr with his "red shtuff" the leader of the pack... if you don't mind a few "sound effects". (;->) Then again I guess you just had to hear me on the 75M overnight as one of the We're Two Dirty Old Rats to fully appreciate punch drunk, a carry over from my loco weed fueled CB daze around 3:00am when the kiddies were sleeping.

OH! I almost forgot OBARC's participation in Lighthouse Day at Barnegat Light, affectionately known as Old Barney, the club's namesake. We were set up under a shelter with tables and chairs next to the lighthouse with a heavy duty extension cord plugged in inside the maintenance room. As soon as the antenna trailer and 20M station was fully set up, as usual Bob N2OO took over, (;->) but no big deal, the 40M station I was more or less supervising was wide open. We had a NVIS dipole set up between two 16ft poles on the beach a short distance away that worked great. Since we were on the other side of the walkway to the beach next to the lighthouse there was a steady stream of onlookers and a lot of curious kids. Many of them stood around watching as I explained Amateur Radio and what we were doing in kid's terms, they were quite naturally fascinated. When I asked them if they wanted to operate I didn't have to ask twice, they practically fought over the opportunity to play radio. I didn't have to give any instructions, they picked it up real quick just from watching a few minutes. About the only thing I had to do was keep my eye on my watch and say "it's time to say this is N2OB, Nancy Two Old Barney at Barnegat Light, New Jersey". Do I have to say everybody, mostly the kids had a GREAT time? Oh one last thing, as they left I gave each one a flyer about the event with all the contact info, I just wonder how many are now hams.

I'm sure you'll all agree that special events are the best promos we have, another thing I should mention is news coverage. Big and small every public exposure promotes our service, the BEST service is not speaking a single word about EMCOMM that IMO gives the wrong impression, the impression I prefer is FUN. On the big side was live coverage of the now defunct Gaithersburg, MD Hamfester by WTOP-TV in Washington. They had a reporter and camera crew wandering around, they spent a lot of time at the AM station (40M day and 75M night) broadcasting my friend's son operating, his 15 minutes of fame. They had a news chopper overhead, whenever I heard it I ran out into an open area and gave it the finger. (;->) On the small side was a reporter and her guy with a camera from a local paper at the Catpissaway... Piscataway Field Day event. I was putting up the 10M vertical, my old CB Cushcraft Ringo re-tuned, when I heard a click behind me and turned around to see the reporter. I gave her the lowdown in terms that readers would enjoy with a simple, not overly emphasized mention that the event is good practice for operating in the event of an emergency when and where normal operating facilities and conditions aren't available. I made no mention of it being more of a contest than anything else, that would marginalize Amateur Radio by blowing our own horn. I didn't go on as an EMCOMM whacker either, that would trivialize us, neither of those two things stir any interest or promote Amateur Radio. The next morning one of the guys ran over to me and shoved the paper in my hand open to the page with a very well written article and there was what that click was all about, four guys raising the antenna, if it were a flag it would look like this, I kid you not!

[NQ6U]

Since the club's old FD site burned down last year, we've held our event at the Lakeside (CA) EOC. (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lakeside+Fire+Administration+Office/@32.8670804,-116.9286909,194m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x80dbe265beee4a87:0x4d299 4feff6a88a) It's got some advantages such as, due to a quirk in the ARRL's rules, we can get credit for running on emergency power while not actually doing so and, if you need something in a hurry, HRO is only 20 minutes away. Also, it's a lot closer to home. But it's got one big disadvantage, too—no alcohol allowed on the property.

[AE5CP]

We operated EOC two years from the Red Cross chapter office, that was moderately comfortable. It was a little uncomfortable with the silly operating arrangement they had for us.

They have since moved and since the new location is not quite public-friendly and hard to get antennas up in we have gone to parks to operate emergency-style. We do run commercial power though, just because of the cost of fuel and the noise of the generators, not to mention the cooldown and refueling periods.

[W9JEF]

Since the club's old FD site burned down last year, we've held our event at the Lakeside (CA) EOC. (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lakeside+Fire+Administration+Office/@32.8670804,-116.9286909,194m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x80dbe265beee4a87:0x4d299 4feff6a88a) It's got some advantages such as, due to a quirk in the ARRL's rules, we can get credit for running on emergency power while not actually doing so and, if you need something in a hurry, HRO is only 20 minutes away. Also, it's a lot closer to home. But it's got one big disadvantage, too—no alcohol allowed on the property.

No alcohol??? Y'all need to find a new FD site. :yes:

My curiosity is piqued.

Please elucidate on the "... quirk in the ARRL's rules, we can get
credit for running on emergency power while not actually doing so...?"

[AE5CP]

Class F stations are EOC setups.

Field day rules for Class F Emergency power:


4.8.4. A Class F station may claim the emergency power bonus if emergency power is available at
the EOC site.
4.8.4.1. The emergency power source must be tested during the Field Day period but
you are not required to run the Class F operation under emergency power.

[NQ6U]

From the ARRL Field Day rule book:


4.8.4. A Class F station may claim the emergency power bonus if emergency power is available at the EOC site.

4.8.4.1. The emergency power source must be tested during the Field Day period but you are not required to run the Class F operation under emergency power.

Because it costs so much to fire up an EOC's emergency generation system, the ARRL will allow the emergency power credit to FD operations as long as a letter from the center's management stating that the system is in working condition is submitted along with the final logs and other required paperwork after the event is over. They'll waive the requirement that the system be tested as well.

I can't find a browser-readable version of the rules but you can download a PDF version (http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2014/2014%20Rules.pdf) from the ARRL Web site without logging in.

[W9JEF]

.

Makes economic sense to me. Thanks. :)

There's only so much public funding available for additional testing.

The point is, emergency power is available.

[wa6mhz]

They are crabby at my FD site too. Buncha tea TOTALLERs! I think we oughta have a KEG PARTY!

[kb2vxa]

I'm the most interesting man in the world. What's so great about parallel parking a train when there's no other way to park one? Besides, I get silly enough on the FD overnight WITHOUT getting drunk.