As far back as I can remember, Field Day set-up occurs on hot days in blistering sun. It goes with the territory. Even if you changed it, they'll still have tear-down at the same hot time on Sunday afternoon. If normal Field-Day set-up (and tear-down) activities pose a health risk for some participants, I suggest they be encouraged to: 1) recruit a boy scout troop (perhaps with the inducement of a merit badge class) to do the heavy work on tents and antennas; 2) reduce the complexity of the FD installation and, thereby, reduce the time and exertion level involved; 3) find a shadier place to operate; 4) conduct set-up activities on Friday evening and / or early Saturday morning when temperatures have dropped and the sun isn't beating down; 5) include a cooling / hydration / rest station as part of the set-up (even a motor home with a/c would serve the purpose); or 6) change to class C, D, E or F. 73, Marty N6VI ----- Original Message ----- From: Greg Sarratt To: ODV Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2012 11:48 AM Subject: [arrl-odv:20864] Field Day set-up rule I'm sure many of you are aware of the record setting high temperatures in the Southeast. Field Day groups here battle extreme heat and are asking for our help. Many of our members in the Southeastern Division are ageing and concerned about the risk of heat stroke and other heat related problems. The heat and humidity is hard on all participants young and old. One idea I've talked about with several groups is to change the FD rules to allow setting up starting on Friday morning at 1200 GMT (near local sunrise) to take advantage of the cooler temperatures before mid-day. This will help minimize the Health Risks to participants during the hardest work phase of installing towers, antennas, and stations that are now starting at the hottest part of the day when the temperatures are high (typically 95+). This change should help reduce the risk of Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke, or even a Heart Attack for folks by not waiting to the hottest part of the day to start setting up. I am asking for your comments and thoughts about changing the FD rule from setting up at 1800 to 1200. Thanks, 73, Greg Sarratt, W4OZK Director, Southeastern Division American Radio Relay League www.southeastern.arrl.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org http://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv