2017 Spring VHF/UHF Field Day

[VK4OE]

Noticed an odd thing when preparing my logs. In division 2, VKCL allocates bonus points for portable to portable contacts but there's no mention of this in the rules.
Curious...

That's interesting Iain......but how does VKCL know that the stations you worked were portable?  Did you log each one with '/P' at the end?

And, because there is no mention in the contest rules of portable stations being 'different' in any way, I have not been logging them as such.

With the closing date for log submissions being tomorrow, many of us will need to know in a hurry if what you have reported is a valid points bonus or a software glitch.....

Roger, are you there?

Cheers and 73,

--Doug Friend, VK4OE.

[VK5ZD]

That's interesting Iain......but how does VKCL know that the stations you worked were portable?  Did you log each one with '/P' at the end?

Yes; logged portable stations as /P.
As near as I can tell, the bonus points were in the original rules but disappeared in 2015, meaning all logs since then may be incorrect if VKCL was used for logging.

[VK2ZRH]

I've emailed Mike VK3AVV about this issue, marked URGENT.

BACKGROUND
The 2014 Winter VHF-UHF Field Day Division 2 Rules, published in AR on page 61 of the May 2014 issue, includes the following:

BONUS POINTS: Portable stations add 10 points for each portable-to-portable contact and add 5 points for each portable-to-home contact. Home stations add 5 points for each home-to-portable contact.

As this, apparently, wasn't in the Division 1 Rules (and it's not in 2013 contest Rules, before Div 2 was instituted), it was not included in the Rules for Div 1 or Div 2 subsequently.

[VK4ADC]

Since all of the Spring FD logs should be in by now and processed by VKCL in the same way, doesn't that effectively make it a level playing field ??  I realise we could all re-process and resubmit our logs with a revised VKCL version but is that necessary ?

On a slightly different note, I ALWAYS add the /P to the callsign for portable stations. Where it gets difficult is if the station is portable in a different state. Do you enter the callsign as VK2XXXX/VK4/P or just VK2XXX/P and just ignore the locational data ?

On yet a different note, it was probably good for those in mid & southern VK2, VK3, VK5 and maybe VK7 that the FD was not held a week later given the prevailing weather conditions over the  last few days. Certainly not ideal from either gear damage from water ingress or greater absorbption at microwave frequencies  points of view.

I have to wonder if the Spring FD results will make it to the WIA Contest Champion scores because the Winter FD results still haven't !

In 2ZRH's words, those are my "2.2c" of comments, GST included.....

73 Doug

[VK2ZRH]

If anyone hasn't done so already, just submit your log/s, it'll all be sorted out "in the wash". 

[VK4ADC]

Received my Diviison 2 log summary by email today. Just for a change, I entered only Div 2 rather than both Divisions.

"
There was again a large number of incorrectly logged locators in this field day, about a third of the submitted logs had significant number of such errors mostly for the same worked station. That indicates that the logs were not checked for consistency before being submitted. To encourage log checking, the previous penalty of 10% for incorrectly logging a locator will increase to 25% or 33% in the future.


Incorrectly copied exchanges which are 'off by one' are still most predominant, accounting for more than a third of these errors. More often received one greater than sent, but also quite a few of received one less than sent.  Any suggestions as to how to find the reason for these errors would be greatly appreciated.


Many contact time stamps at the two stations did not match, exceeding 5 minutes, mostly under ten minutes, but some an hour and up to two hours. There were 65 such occurences, 54 of which could be readily resolved as to which station was at fault (and most of these were caused by just two stations). To encourage better timekeeping, a penalty will be applied in the future as described below (but the penalty was NOT applied in this field day).

"


I lost points because others didn't type in either my callsign or grid locator correctly. Funnily enough there were two consecutive QSOs with a VK2 who transposed the 2m and 70cm bands such that it appeared as crossband - a definite no-no.  I guess accuracy was not happening that day !

I know the frequency discrepancy wasn't my end because the VKCL software was connected to the Icom IC-7000 transceiver by a CIV interface and thus the band indicated was automatic. The new 'prompt to log' flashing box was a great implementation as it was possible to jump bands before without realising you hadn't pressed the Enter key.

This extract shows some of 'it':

Stations copying your call/band/exchange/locator incorrectly (Information):
============================================================

   VK2xxx      :   01:25 < 432> SSB  VK4ADC        007  005            Your Log:   144
   VK2xxx      :   01:26 < 144> SSB  VK4ADC        008  006            Your Log:   432
   VK4xxx      :   <03:20>  144 SSB  VK4ADC        016  020            Your Log:  03:13 (07 mins)
   VK4xxx      :   <03:20>  432 SSB  VK4ADC        017  021            Your Log:  03:14 (06 mins)
   VK4xxx      :   <07:24>  144 SSB  VK4ADC        045  037            Your Log:  07:16 (08 mins)
   VK4xxx      :   02:36    50  FM  <VK2ADC>       008  017            Should be: VK4ADC

(The callsigns have been changed to protect the other party !!)


The email also had a results PDF attached as the outcome of the event and is available here : 
  2017 Spring Final Results.pdf (Size: 102.64 KB / Downloads: 486)


This will eventually appear on the WIA web site but as the press is often to say "you heard it here first".

[VK2ZRH]

The full table of results covering Division 1 and Division, for all 51 log submitters, has been posted to the WIA website. 

Thanks to Mike VK3AVV for producing the results table.

[VK2AZ]

The full table of results covering Division 1 and Division, for all 51 log submitters, has been posted to the WIA website. 

Thanks to Mike VK3AVV for producing the results table.

Thank you Roger, Colin, Michael and Mike.
My first top 5 placing for this contest - very happy :-)

Hard going from my RF-hole at the base of the Blue Mountains.

Hilary
VK2AZ