Field Day operation by less than 3 people?

[AG5T]

I was reading in the Field Day rules where in order to operate as a radio club you needed to have at least three people to operate Class A, and if you operate off power mains, it's Class A Commercial. Just curious - if you only have two people, can you still operate as a club station or do you have to use one of the two individuals' call signs? Can two people operate with a club call sign? Can two people earn any of the bonuses? What class is it if two people operate off existing power and existing antennas? Thanks.

[N2EY]

AG5T: "in order to operate as a radio club you needed to have at least three people to operate Class A"

Not exactly.

Class A is for groups of three or more operators, whether or not they are a formal club.

Class B is for groups of one or two operators, whether or not they are a formal club.

AG5T: "if you operate off power mains, it's Class A Commercial"

All the field classes have the Commercial sub-class.

AG5T: "Ifyou only have two people, can you still operate as a club station or do you have to use one of the two individuals' call signs?"

You can use the club call. The station must not be a permanent setup. A two-person operation would be Class B.

Note that the number of "operators" is the number of people who operate and help set up.

AG5T: "Can two people operate with a club call sign?"

Yes, if it's OK with the club.

AG5T: "Can two people earn any of the bonuses?"

Yes. They cannot have a GOTA station, however.

To qualify as Class A or Class B, all of the radio facilities used must not be installed more than 24 hours before the start of Field Day. This means you can't use permanently-installed antennas, rigs, etc., and still be in those classes. 

AG5T: "What class is it if two people operate off existing power and existing antennas?"

Depends on whether the station is at a designated Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Field Day stations at an EOC are Class F.

Field Day stations not at an EOC, and using existing antennas and/or rigs are Class D if using commercial power and Class E using emergency power. Note that some bonus points are available to all classes and some are not, particularly Class D.

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It sounds to me as if you are considering putting a club station on the air from a location where there are existing antennas and commercial power. If so, you'd be in Class D.

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To understand the rules more easily, consider that the purpose of Field Day is to get hams out "in the field", setting up stations specifically for the weekend, using non-mains power. That's why all the classes, rules, and bonuses.

What sort of operation are you considering? How many people, rigs? How many bands/modes? Location?

73 de Jim, N2EY

[W5ESE]

It sounds to me as if you are considering putting a club station on the air from a location where there are existing antennas and commercial power. If so, you'd be in Class D.

I agree with what Jim said. It sounds to me as though you all will be Class D,
which is for permanent stations running off commercial AC mains and
permanent antennas.

It's important to note that as a Class D station, you will only be permitted to
count contacts made with Class A, B, C, E, or F stations (Class D stations
can't count contacts made with other Class D stations). This is in the rules
in section 4.6.

73
Scott W5ESE