I hope to make this my final post on this subject - I've said enough and I
don't want to wear out my welcome BUT just a few more points from some
recent posts. This topic has taken up a lot of bandwidth on the reflector
- seems like we have done a good job of identifying a problem and there has
been many good posts suggesting solutions to the problem of the apparent
decreasing participation and log submission in vhf+ contests. What can we
do now? Here is my plan and what I'm gonna do (FWIW).
At 04:30 PM 4/10/2003 -0400, Thomas Viselli (K2UOP) wrote:
So I think if we, as contesters, want to hear more activity during contests
and see more submissions, we have to be more active during other periods.
When we work other newbees during the year we have to talk up contests with
them and get them as excited about this activity within ham radio as we are.
-Tom is right on the money - we need to get on the air more in non-contest,
non-band opening times. I am very guilty of not getting on for a number of
reasons but I will make an concerted attempt to get on vhf+ at least 1
evening a week (it ain't much but it's 1 more eve a week than I get on now).
At 02:56 PM 4/10/2003 -0500, Tree wrote:
When we work someone with a new rig, but no antenna for 432, do we
encourage them to get on and give it a try? Maybe we offer to loan them an
antenna to get on.
-I have multiple extra antennas (2 for 6m, 3 for 2m, 1.5 for 222, 2 for
432, 1 for 903 and 1 for 1296MHz), a 20ft. crank up mast and a Create Log
Periodic that covers 50 - 1296MHz (that is presently for-sale) sitting in
my shed and garage that I will make available as loaners to get someone on
a new band for any of the upcoming contests. I used these antennas
pre-kids for many of my qrp portable expeditions and most recently in the
June 2000 VHF contest from FN00 that I op'd with N3II. My only special
request is that they be returned in as close to the same condition as when
they were borrowed. If I don't get any bites here I will make the same
offer on my local club reflector (PVRC).
At 02:56 PM 4/10/2003 -0500, Tree wrote:
Most of the HF contest writeups are done by non QST staff. If you are
passionate about VHF contesting, why not consider putting that passion into
a writeup?
-Okay, thanks to Tree's suggestion I have recently volunteered to write a
vhf-uhf contesting article (maybe 2 or 3 a year) for a local publication
(AUTOCALL) that will be targeted at the non-vhf+ contester, non-contester
and the HT/FM only crowd. I hope to provide enough info and enthusiasm to
get some of those folks to participate in this year's June VHF QSO Party
and other vhf+ contests. Any advise, hints and ideas for these articles
will be appreciated.
At 11:56 AM 4/11/2003 -0400, Ed Kucharski wrote:
There have been multiple posts that have indicated the contest results
should stay in QST - I agree.
-I will email my SM, Dan Henderson and the Contest Advisory Committee my
feelings on this subject to try to convince ARRL to reconsider their
position of taking the line scores out of QST and I will suggest leaving an
abridged write-up with line scores and top ten boxes in QST and a more
detailed expanded web report on-line.
Lastly, I plan on op'g as many of the vhf+ contests as possible (I usually
put in a full time effort in Jan, June and Sept) and part-time efforts in
the sprints, CQVHF, and UHF contests. I hope to add another band
(3456MHz?) within the next year with my eye on expansion thru 10GHz too.
What can you do / we do as a group to encourage more vhf+ contest
participation and log submissions???
73 and CU in the next vhf+ contest,
Ed K3DNE
FM19
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