>You are not going to get everyone who shows an interest in VHF operating to
>buy microwave gear. It's expensive, it takes a lot of time and effort to
>build a station, and a lot of time and effort to learn how to use it. It
>has been and always will be a small niche activity.
The same argument can be made about becoming a competitive HF contest
station. It's expensive, it takes a lot of time and effort to build a
station, and a lot of time and effort to learn how to use it. The big
difference, is it takes more time to construct a microwave-capable station -
as it's not a plug-n-play operation. Sure, an HF station isn't either - but
more so than getting 903 on the air with 50w.
Didn't your contesting experience at K8GP teach you ANYTHING about the VHF+
contesting environment? Sure, you make fewer QSOs on 903+. BUT, with the
right combination of conditions and activity - you can do REALLY NEAT STUFF.
Yeah, That IS my interpretation. I like the microwave bands. I'm a BIG
proponent of their advancement and use. SO? If that's a problem, then let's
just tell the FCC that we don't need these big hunks of spectrum anymore.
What you advocate, is removing one of the PRIMARY reasons people build,
tweak and use microwave equipment on a regular basis. So what if there's a
competitive advantage! If it is advantageous to me, then it MUST be
advantageous to you as well.
If it means making more QSOs so I can beat someone else - then count me in.
I'm a competitive guy - if I need to add bands to become more competitive -
that is what it takes. What offended me, wasn't the discussion that M/L has
been killing microwave operations - it's that YOU are insinuating that
because of guys like me YOU CAN'T WIN.
Didn't you see the post by KM0T, who lives in IOWA? Who scores in the Top-5,
and will be able to kick MY BUTT in a VHF Contest? HOW DOES HE DO IT? HE
told you. He has bands. Lots of them. And they work very well. With a slip,
breakdown, or WHATEVER - he's gonna take the #1 slot. That's for sure. Why?
Because he's a competitive guy, too. And he realized that, in order to win
in VHF+, you need the bands to do it.
>In HF contesting, there are all sorts of different contests with all
>sorts of different rules and different entry categories, offering different
>competitive opportunities for everyone. There is nowhere near the same
>variety in VHF contesting, and here you want to make sure that every
>entry category in every contest is the same and requires people to be
>on 10 or 12 bands and live in a very small region of the country in order
to
>have a remote chance of winning.
There is equally as much stratification based on geography in HF as there is
in VHF. You really believe that any M/M station you construct in TX stands a
chance in HELL of beating KC1XX, W3LPL or K3LR? Or in SOHP - can you beat
KQ2M, KT1V, AA1K? Or K4JA, K1AR in M/2? How about K1KI, N3RS in M/S? I doubt
it. How about the best SOHP(A)? Try catching KI1G, W2UP. Let's see. That's
M/M, M/2, M/S, SOHP, SOHP(A) that you can't win. That leaves SOLP, SOLP(A),
SOAB QRP, SOAB(A) QRP. Hmm. LOTS of ways to not win from TX. Except for 10m
contest, November Sweepstakes. You'll clean house.
>Maybe we should get rid of HF contests, too, because, you know, they aren't
>using the microwave bands, either. And often big HF contest weekends
>attract operators who might instead be doing a VHF contest, too. Aren't
>HF contests in opposition to the promotion of microwave spectrum usage?
No. Let's not get rid of ANYTHING. Let's make the BEST of what's out there,
and compete on the existing playing fields. There are plenty of options,
even in VHF+ contesting. SOHP, SOLP, SO QRP, M/M, M/L, Rover and
single-bands. I don't see much difference here, other than the number of (A)
categories between VHF and HF contests. Where, if anywhere, do you see the
lack of variety that you spoke of earlier? I still see a decent slate of
competitive categories, a decent sized group of competitors, and a LOT of
opportunity. What YOU see, is the inability to win.
If all a contest is about winning - then you have a natural disadvantage
(geography), HF AND VHF. Instead of trying to force those who ENJOY the
advantage to come down to your level, either consider bringing yourself UP
to a level where you CAN make a competitive difference - or being content in
what you HAVE accomplished.
>Truth.
Truth.
Mark, K2AXX
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