Please do not clutter the VHFcontesting news list with complaints about me.
Please feel free to send your replies to: vhf@ke3ht.org . I will only report
on replies sent to vhf@ke3ht.org. I will follow up in the VHFcontesting
reflector with the results if there are any (Apathy is killing ham radio in
general).
************************
Do you think the ARRL will indeed kill the VHF contest microwave bands and
rovers after September?
Yes / No
************************
IF the ARRL decides to end VHF contesting as we know it after this
September;
Would you consider being part of a new VHF contest that would retain the ALL
bands, Rovers and fun?
Yes / No
************************
Would you consider joining in an effort to show the ARRL you want to keep
amateur radio from eroding like this before they do it?
Yes / No
************************
Please indicate if you wish to keep your name and call private.
If you are not apathetic to the existence of ham radio and the bands above
900mhz and you decide to reply please send replies to vhf@ke3ht.org
At the end of this e-mail is the e-mail that started this. You should also
look at your local clubs interests. Here is a survey taken for the North
East VHF meeting in April. http://www.newsvhf.com/mham.pdf
Pretty much everyone feels this will be another death nail in VHF contesting
and amateur radio as well. (Yes Microwaves are, or should I say "were" part
of amateur radio)
IMHO:
I think apathy is what is killing amateur radio. Why is the ARRL making
decisions like this? Those that are appointed to positions inside the ARRL
will want their way unless we speak out! If they don't listen to you or help
you then cancel your membership. Who needs them if they don't listen!
Thanks
Tim Ertl KE3HT/r
QSL via CBA
http://www.ke3ht.org/rover
ke3ht@ke3ht.org
> Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 14:16:28 -0500
> From: Tom Frenaye <frenaye@direcway.com>
> To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
> Subject: [VHFcontesting] ARRL VHF+ contest proposals: input invited
>
>
> To VHF+ contesters:
>
> For the last year or so the ARRL has been studying ways to increase
interest and participation
> in VHF+ contests (and awards). It was a good sign that participation was
up in last June's VHF
> QSO Party, and we're looking to encourage more participation,
> especially those who have multi-band transceivers.
>
> Our recommendations had several basic goals. Changes to the contest
rules and awards programs
> should:
> 1) encourage more people to work more other people
> 2) encourage QSOs made over longer distances
> 3) encourage more people to join in and participate
>
> Major recommendations
> 1) Changes in the rover rules
> 2) QSO point changes
> 3) June VHF QSO Party 50-1296 only
> 4) New categories in Jan/Jun/Sept
> 5) Expanded Microwave contest based on 10 GHz Cumulative - UHF
> contest dropped.
>
> These major recommendations, and a number of minor ones, are still
> just recommendations. We felt it would be important to have further
> input from the VHF+ contest community at this point.
>
> After you've had a chance to read through and think about the proposed
changes, we'd like to
> hear from you. Please send any comments to
vhf-contest-proposal@arrl.org - we'd like to have
> your input by March 7th.
>
>
> January VHF SS and June/September VHF QSO Parties
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------
>
> 1) Change Rover Rules
>
> After considerable discussion about the impact of the present rover
> rules and comments from both rovers and non-rovers, we have
> recommended reverting to the rover scoring rules originally
> established in 1991. The text of the original rule is "The final score
consists of the total number of QSO points from all bands times the total
number of multipliers from all grid squares
> in which they operated." This change would encourage rovers to go to
rarer and more distant
> grids instead of staying closer to metropolitan areas.
>
> Because rover scores can be so large under the original rover scoring
> rules, they can distort the club competition scores. To solve this
> major problem with the original rules, we propose that rover station
> scores should not be counted towards club competition scores. Rovers
> would continue to contribute substantially to increasing the scores of
> club members by providing numerous QSO points and activating new
> grids.
>
> Finally, we believe it is time to be more definitive and state
> unequivocally that grid circling and captive roving are highly
> undesirable practices and that no rover station should engage in them.
> We recognize that due to the great disparities in population and
geography, hard and fast analytical tests for these activities may not be
possible but both these practices are well
> understood.
>
> Grid circling has been observed quite clearly under both the original
> and present rover rules
> two or more rovers congregate at the intersection of four grid squares and
then circle each
> other around that corner making short distance QSOs with each other.
Operating practices that
> look like grid circling are easy to detect and will result in review of
the log by the contest
> managers.
>
> The term "captive rover" refers to stations whose primary activity is
> to increase the score of one fixed station either single operator or
> multi-operator, and who never, or seldom, work anyone else in the
> contest. These may or may not be people who are part of the same team
> or group. Again, this is easy to detect during the log checking
> process and will attract the attention of the contest manager.
>
> 2) QSO Point changes
>
> The current rules provide for increasing QSO points as contacts are
> made on higher bands plus additional multipliers on each band for each
> new grid. We propose to change the values for QSO points for all
> three contests. Regardless of band you would receive two points for
> QSOs with your own grid and any adjacent grid, and three points for
> each QSO beyond that. QSOs with rover stations would count one QSO
> point each, regardless of distance.
>
> This change would reward those who can make more distant QSOs, and it
> would make a volume of short range microwave QSOs somewhat less
> critical to the final score although microwave grid multipliers would
> still be crucial to an all band entry. It would also tend to make
> QSOs with casual participants and newcomers more appealing than
> constantly running from band to band.
>
> 3) June VHF QSO Party 50-1296 MHz only
>
> It seemed to us that at least one of the "big three" VHF+ contests
> ought to emphasize the VHF bands. We thus recommend that the June VHF
> QSO Party be limited to 50-1296 MHz only. June is often the time for
> sporadic E openings on 6 meters - as was the case in 2003. We would
> discontinue the Limited Multi category in the June VHF QSO Party only.
>
> 4) New categories in Jan/Jun/Sept
>
> Getting started in VHF+ contesting can be a bit daunting, and we
> wanted to find ways to attract the many people who have purchased
> multi-band transceivers that include VHF bands like the IC-706 and others.
>
> 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.
>
> 5) Other recommended changes (Jan/Jun/Sept)
>
> a) Simplify the limit for low power operation to 150w for
50-144-222-432 MHz.
> b) Allow DX-to-DX contacts for QSO point and multiplier credit, but
the DX station must
> make at least one QSO
> with W/VE on each band for which QSOs are submitted.
> c) Eliminate the rules that allow Multi-Operator stations to work
their own operators on
> 2.3G and up.
> d) Offer plaques for the January and September contests, in addition
to June. Work to find
> individual, club or corporate
> sponsors. Otherwise offer plaques to national and regional
leaders at cost.
> e) Make sure the rules indicate certificates are awarded for low
power entries in January,
> and for top DX entries.
> f) Resume promoting suggested times and frequencies for "activity
hours" on each band.
>
>
> New Microwave contest based on 10 GHz Cumulative - UHF contest dropped
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------
>
> We recommend expanding the format of the successful 10G and Up microwave
contest and expand it
> to cover from 2.3 GHz and up. The August UHF Contest would be
discontinued after 2004. It
> never reached a critical mass of support and entries.
>
> 1) Add one more weekend in April or May to the existing two-weekend
cumulative contest.
> 2) Include 2.3G, 3.4G and 5.7G bands.
> 3) Have four basic categories - 2.4/3.4/5.7G, 10G only, 10G and up,
and all band (2.4G and
> up). Each major category would
> include portable and home-based categories.
> 4) Perhaps call them the X-band contests to increase interest.
>
>
> EME Contest
> -----------------
>
> 1) The Contest department should work to establish the dates for the
EME contest weekends
> as early as possible,
> and include them with the contest calendar as the yearly
summary is released.
> 2) Change the multiplier to include US states and Canadian provinces
instead of call areas.
> The report remains the signal report.
> 3) Drop the requirement that stations operating outside of their
traditional call area sign
> with a portable designation.
>
>
> Changes Already Implemented
> -------------------------------------
>
> 1) Allow digital QSOs in the EME contest. Implemented for 2003
contest.
> 2) Work to establish an Internet template for entry of small and
medium sized logs.
> Implemented in January 2004.
> 3) Add a club competition to the June VHF QSO Party. Implemented for
2003 contest.
> 4) Work to find good authors and to encourage more regional reporting
of VHF+ contest
> results. This had been in place for more
> than a year now. Staff is working hard to identify
> authors and would welcome volunteers, particularly experienced contesters
> 5) Encourage Logbook of The World development to be supportive of
VHF+ awards, like the
> VUCC. Implemented in September 2003.
> 6) Encourage more activity by developing a high-quality grid square
map of the United
> States. A very nice laminated, color grid
> square map covering North America was released in June
> 2003.
>
>
> Awards
> ----------
>
> 1) Change the entry-level steps for VHF+ awards so more people will
be able to get started
> in the VUCC, WAS and DXCC
> using VHF+ frequencies. Consider changing the steps for
> different level awards to a smaller increment.
> 2) Establish a VUCC challenge-type award, similar to the one used by
DXCC.
> 3) Create a new award or awards to appeal to entry-level or
rover/portable operation, such
> as a grids activated or miles per
> watt award. Consider GCR certification rather than card
checking.
> 4) For VUCC awards on 50 through 1296 MHz and Satellite, all contacts
must be made from a
> location or locations within the
> same grid locator or locations in different grid
> locators no more than 200 kilometers apart [the approximate distance
between
> the corners of a grid square]. (Currently they have to
> be made from the same grid square or from distances no more than
> 50 miles apart.)
>
>
> How we got here
> ---------------------
>
> The number of logs submitted to ARRL VHF+ contests has generally been
> decreasing for several years and the perception is that activity is
> not increasing in spite of the advent of commercial HF/VHF/UHF radios.
> After a number of discussions, ARRL Board members voted (January 2002)
> to have the Membership Services Committee review the existing VHF,
> UHF, and Microwave contest and awards programs and make recommendations on
ways to increase interest and participation. The MSC established a
subcommittee of K1KI N0AX W5ZN and N7NG.
>
> The early work included a survey in September 2002. The survey,
> intended as a way to gather ideas, not to measure exact opinion on
> issues, was a great success. Some 250 people provide valuable input.
> Initially, the subcommittee produced recommended changes for the VHF+
awards. That progress report was given at the January 2003 meeting of the
MSC.
>
> At this point, to increase the expertise relating to the VHF+ contests
> it was recommended that the MSC-VHF subcommittee be expanded to
> include several knowledgeable VHF+ contesters. The subcommittee was
> expanded (K1JX K2UA W3ZZ AA7A KM0T and N1ND were added) and started
> work in April. Over the past several months the original discussions
> were reviewed and new ideas culled from discussions with friends, from
> the major VHF+ reflectors and from participating in on the air contest
> activity lead to modifications and new recommendations. The
> recommendations detailed above are the result of this process.
>
> Again, we'd like to hear from you about the proposed changes. Please
send any comments to
> vhf-contest-proposal@arrl.org - we'd like to have your input by March
> 7th.
>
> -- Tom Frenaye/K1KI
>
> MSC VHF-UHF Contest and Awards Subcommittee
>
> Tom Frenaye, K1KI, chairman
> Clarke Green, K1JX
> Joel Harrison, W5ZN
> Rus Healy, K2UA* (Atlantic Division Contest Advisory Committee member)
> Mike King, KM0T
> Wayne Mills, N7NG (Membership Services Department manager)
> Ward Silver, N0AX (Northwest Division CAC member)
> Ned Stearn, AA7A (Southwest Division CAC member)
> Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZ (also QST VHF column editor)
> Dan Henderson, N1ND (Contest Department manager)
> * unable to participate for the last few months
>
> =====
> e-mail: k1ki@arrl.org ARRL New England Division Director
http://www.arrl.org/
> Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone:
> 860-668-5444
>
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