With 73 entrants, rover activity was high during the January 2010 contest. Both
Classic Rover entries and Limited Rover entries grew from 2008. The Unlimited
Rover Class continues to languish, with just 2 entries. Overall participation
in the contest grew significantly from 649 entries in 2009 to 759 entries in
2010 and rover entries grew from 58 in 2009.
Here is the historical January contest participation data with 2010 preliminary
data added:
Table - Rover Activity in the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes since 1992
Year All Rover %Rover CR LR UR Notes
2010 759 73 9.6 47 24 2
2009 649 58 8.9 41 12 5
2008 709 61 8.6 36 24 1 Rover Categories Added
2007 778 68 8.7 68
2006 793 67 8.4 67
2005 712 53 7.4 53
2004 834 93 11.2 93
2003 798 82 10.3 82
2002 802 72 9.0 72
2001 790 86 10.9 66
2000 820 48 5.9 48
1999 966 76 7.9 76
1998 1075 74 6.9 74
1997 1182 78 6.6 78
1996 1219 80 6.6 80 Rover Scoring Changed
1995 1171 71 6.1 71 Rover Scoring Changed
1994 1013 86 8.5 66
1993 1036 106 10.2 106
1992 958 79 8.2 79 First Rover Class
CR - Classic Rover
LR - Limited Rover
UR - Unlimited Rover
The 2010 data is based on the logs received page from the ARRL web site. It
does not include paper entries, so the total may grow by 5% or so and perhaps
another rover or two. Still it is good enough to show positive trends.
Activity in the January Contest, particularly for rovers, is very dependent on
the weather, which explains many of the wide swings sees in the historical
participation data. In some cases it is impossible to rove due to road
conditions, and cold temperatures can make it difficult to get out and work
antennas. This year the weather was OK over much of the US, and good for the
high VHF activity areas in the midwest and east. The southwest had record rain
everywhere and snow at the higher elevations in the days leading up to the
contest, but the weather for the contest weekend was fairly mild. See my
soapbox for pictures of the KK6MC/r rover covered in snow the day before the
contest, and another with it surrounded by saguaro cactus in sunlight a day
later. AF6O has similar photos of his rover. KR0VER/R got out in Colorado, as
did N0LP/R, for the first rover entries in a January contest from that state in
many years. No longer will rovers from NM own the January contest in the R
ocky Mountain Division. Of particular interest is the 420 mile 2M SSB QSO from
K7ULS, on Powder Mountain in UT to KR0VER/r in Eastern Colorado! And anyone who
complains about the cold affecting roving contests should read NL7HJ/r's
soapbox comments.
The classic rover entries grew a bit, which is good, as I said in the September
analysis there is concern that the limited class will siphon off Classic Rover
entrants and that is clearly not the case here. The limited Rover class doubled
in size over last year, but remains constant from 2008. The class is getting
traction, attracting newcomers, or inactive rovers who don't want to go to the
bother of outfitting a full up 10 band rover.
The Unlimited Rover Class has not attracted a significant number of
participants since it was formed, and it certainly has not been used by
entrants as it was envisioned. The entrants who have used it, have used it to
good advantage though. The lack of entrants in the Unlimited class has been
pretty universal across all the VHF/UHF contests from the introduction of the
class.
The California rover pack was out with 11 well equipped rover stations and
contributed to an impressive score for the Southern California Contest Club in
the Club competition. The pack used a slightly different strategy, with some of
the rovers splitting off from the pack so that not all of the rovers were in
the same grid at the same time.
There was some Es from AZ and southern CA to the northwest and rovers took
advantage of that to get a few more multipliers than usual. There was little in
the way of other openings; little tropo and no aurora.
The Spring Sprints are coming up and it is not too early to start planning your
rove. Although these are short contests, with planning and a favorable location
a Rover can get to two, three, or even four grids in an evening. - Duffey
--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM
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