When I got started in VHF contesting I had a 2m and 432 SSB rig and a 1.2GHz
handy talkie (FM Only). On my first rovering attempt, I asked about using
FM and how would I get the attention of folks to go to an FM channel. I was
told that I should just transmit FM on 1296.1 and operators would get the
idea hearing the mode in SSB, switch to FM and work me. Now I understand
that in the east and west coasts, this might be a problem, but in Texas
where the distance between Austin and Dallas would cross a half-dozen states
in the East, it's really not a big deal. It worked beautifully and I gave
out a number of contacts on 1.2GHz. It spurred me to buy a transverter on
23cm and now I run it all the time. (This is my vote in FAVOR of retaining
FM).
Let's face it folks, if you want a true level playing field, it's just never
going to happen. The folks on the east and west coast will probably always
have more traffic than in the middle of West Texas. The grid squares are
smaller in the northeast than they are closer to the equator in Texas. And
the propagation across dry New Mexico will probably always be different than
it is across humid Louisiana. If an E-cloud forms over Iowa, certain
segments of the population will have a better chance at the 6m opening than
others, but you have no control over this.
I just like to see people excited about working that opening. If you didn't
get to work it this year, maybe next year or the year after you will.
There's a special feeling of pride to build your own microwave station and
make contacts with it. I think it's very rewarding to give a grid to
someone on a band like 3.4G that many folks don't have and that there are
few opportunities to get. It's great to barely hear someone as a rover and
look around at the terrain and at topo maps and think -- how can I use my
system and the terrain to get another couple dB so I can work this guy? But
that's me.
N6NB, et.al. put a lot of work into their station, spent lots on gas, and
worked their butts off for their score. They had fun and they promoted the
hobby in a way that they chose. Frankly, I wouldn't deny them the
opportunity to do it again. In fact, let's test the end points -- what if
teenagers of the world looked at what they did and thought it was awesome
and in five years we had fifty such pack-rover groups running around the
states trying to beat this all-time rover score. All those folks would
build and learn about microwave technology, they would have fun in the hobby
and would be promoting it in their own way (heck a few might decide it's
boring and decide to become a "regular rover"!). I think it would be great.
I'm not real likely at this point to join 'em, but I understand what they
are doing.
Early on I had suggested that the pack rovers go into a separate category
and someone told me that they thought this was a bad idea. The comment was
something like: we have so few rovers now it doesn't make sense to separate
them into different categories. Well, ok, I hear this, but I really think
it's the best way to handle the problem. I think it's bad form to tell a
group of people that are having fun, not hurting anyone else and promoting
the hobby that their methods are "bad." I think we need to create a
category called something like "unlimited rover" and let the folks that do a
substantial amount of pack rovering go in that category.
I think there will always be some pack roving and grid circling among
regular stations, but we need to pick an arbitrary threshold and encourage
folks to go into the unlimited category if they're going to do what the
N6NB's have been doing so that the "regular rovers" don't have to compete
directly in this group. How's 30%? So wording something like this "Rovers
who have more than 30% of their QSO's with a collection of other rovers will
automatically be promoted to the unlimited rover category."
Thoughts?
73/Steve N5AC
-----Original Message-----
From: vhfcontesting-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bob Naumann -
W5OV
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 1:29 PM
To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
Subject: [VHFcontesting] FM is the root af all evil
Since we're discussing things that need to change to improve VHF
contests, I wanted to make sure that my favorite needed change is not
overlooked.
My favorite is FM use in VHF contests.
If ever there was a reason for creating seperate categories, the use of
FM is certainly one. In fact, I would be in favor of completely
outlawing FM use. At minimum, all scores that include FM qsos should
have an asterisk by them to indicate that these "achievements" are
tainted by the use of FM.
Those who, merely by being close to a densely populated urban area, can
make many qsos with FM only, shack on the belt types who may be likely
to respond saying "10-4" should not be permitted to compete with those
who don't have that benefit.
I believe that if FM were dealt with properly, many of the more recent
ills would not be as likely to have occurred either.
73,
Bob W5OV
Bob Naumann - W5OV
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