I would suggest not haing any category defined as 50-144-432 only, as it
strikes me as an admission that 222 somehow isn't a real ham band. There is
very little activity on that band, and it seems to me that risk of losing more
of it continues. I would hate to see some other service petition for a slice
of that band, and be able to cite ARRL contest rules showing that it is
treated differently from the other bands.
I am speaking as one of the all-band-rig ops you want to encourage with this
rule. I've gotten into VHF contesting in a small way with an FT-817. In the
first few contests I operated, it wasn't much of a disadvantage not having
220, since there is such little activity there anyway. However, I was
encouraged to add another band, and 220 was an easy way to do it. In one
contest I borrowed an HT, and I subsequently purchased an IC-3AT on ebay for a
whopping $50. I believe that new FM rigs for 220 can be had for under $200,
and I recall seeing an article for a transverter for the FT-817 in QST, so it
is not expensive to add this capability. My only QSO's on that band have been
in contests or getting ready for contests.
I think if any category is made for the (not quite) all-band rigs, it should
include 220. I don't think that any owner of such a rig would be discouraged
from participating just because he only had gear for 3 of the available bands,
and it would provide an incentive (as it did for me) to make sure I truly had
an all-band capability.
From: "Tom Frenaye" <frenaye@direcway.com>
To: <vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 13:16
Subject: [VHFcontesting] ARRL VHF+ contest proposals: input invited
> We recommend the establishment of a new Limited Single Operator category
designed with the newcomer in mind - 50-144-432 MHz only, with low power
operation only. For those who are "real estate challenged" because of
antenna restrictions or topography, we also recommend a new 6-hour QRP
Hilltopper category. This latter category should also be appealing to
QRPers with radios like the FT817, one of the more rapidly growing segments
in Amateur Radio.
>
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