Some things to consider:
1) QSOs on 10GHz are harder to complete than on 50MHz. I don't know many
folks with a 3-degree B/W on 6 meters. I don't think my Commander II will
make 1000w on 10GHz, though a 10w 10GHz amp can cost just as much.
2) QSOs on 50MHz have the potential to increase your overall mults more than
10GHz. Look at W5KFT, WD5K, WB0DRL. 10GHz is limited in range. If I work 10
grids in WNY, I'm doing GREAT. A score of 10/10 on 10GHz versus a score of
1006/254 on 50MHz is just a drop in the bucket. If 6 is that wide open, I'd
IGNORE 10GHz altogether. Now, how does THAT help? What incentive would I
have, to spend 20-30 minutes digging out a puny signal when - since there's
NO ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE, there is a big pool of stuff to work easily on
50MHz.
(And no, I don't need to be reminded about contests where there's no Es.
Save the flames...)
3) QSOs made above 900MHz require more dedicated construction than
50-432MHz. They should be rewarded with SOMETHING. Yes, you can BUY a
transverter off-the-shelf - but you can't buy a SYSTEM off the shelf. You
still need to put it all together. That's where the incentive could be lost.
One point per QSO 50 - 432MHZ
Two points per qso 900MHz and above.
That's the most we should do.
Incentive points are common, even in HF contesting. Should we suggest the
elimination of the 1 vs. 2 vs. 3 point incentive? Think about it, why do
people go to P40 for contests? Because NA/EU QSOs are worth 3-points a
piece. If you choose KP2, you won't win. Same with EA8 and Eu. Choose EA6,
you won't win.
C'mon - VHF contesting point differentials are NO DIFFERENT and NO LESS an
incentive than in other V E R Y popular venues. To say we need equality, and
NOT be pushing CQ for the same treatment is flawed at best.
Build more bands, encourage others to do the same. Help someone get fired up
about it. Bring your station up to the level where it becomes competitive -
don't bring that level down.
That's where Single-Operator, Limited (a GREAT proposal, BTW) would help. It
eliminates the need to reduce points. It provides a class of operation that
recognizes this "unfairness" and attempts to correct it. If any change is
needed, it's this. Too many IC-706, FT-100, TS-2000 (et al) out there to
ignore. Heck - make it High-power and Low-Power, too.
Considering there are DOZENS of entry classes in HF contests, why not add 2
more to VHF+?
My $.02
-Mark, K2AXX
ABCD9EFGHIJP
FN12cs
-----Original Message-----
From: George Fremin III [mailto:geoiii@kkn.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 11:41 AM
To: wbr
Cc: Ev Tupis (W2EV); Ed Kucharski; VHF Contesting eMail Remailer
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Timely results = Increased activity &
bettersubmittal?
On Wed, May 28, 2003 at 11:29:06AM -0400, wbr wrote:
>
> Wouldn't this take away the incentive to migrate to the higher bands.
> The extra points are what it's all about.
I do not think it does - because the extra mults are a clear incentive to
move to the higher bands.
I think the added mults are enough of a draw to get you
on those bands. Out here in Texas the mults are the
only draw at the moment since the number of stations is
very limited and it is common to have scores that track
very close to a 1 to 1 QSO to mult ratio.
When the point structure was created for the VHF contests
the mults were states (or was it sections) in any event
the possible mults were much lower and of course on the higher
bands much futher away in many cases. Thus it might have made
more sense to award hihger points for those micorwave contacts.
It was also more difficult to build equipment for those bands.
Now it is possible to buy working transverters off the shelf
up to at least 24Ghz.
In the current era of grid squares there are many more nearby mults to work
and even folks like us in central texas have alot of mults to work
within 200 miles.
In the past 200 miles would not even get us out of the state.
--
George Fremin III - K5TR
geoiii@kkn.net
http://www.kkn.net/~k5tr
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