James makes some great point. Club presentations about the new FM
category will be needed to get the
word out. One concept that will be vital to teach is the notion of
"moving" a contact from 2 Meters (were
most will originate) to the other bands.
It will be interesting to see how the ARRL implements this category. One
strong recommendation that I would
make would be to ALLOW the use of national simplex calling frequencies,
including 146.520. There is virtually
no simplex activity here, and I suspect it's that way nationwide. If
anything, the contest might spur some activity
on that front.
Failing that, I think the league needs to publish a recommended calling
frequency or frequencies that participants
should look for each other during the contest. This is especially
important on 2 Meters.
An opening on 6 Meters with more FM activity would be chaotic. So it
might be best to recommend at least
three "channels" for 6 Meter activity.
I'd also love to see CQ Magazine add an FM category to their VHF
Contest, which would make my favorite
contest even better.
73.
Les Rayburn, N1LF
*
*
On 4/26/2012 10:49 AM, JAMES FRENCH wrote:
> As Les has mentioned, its not a bad idea to get the FM crowd into the game
> and then CONVERT them once they have been bitten and want to do more than
> local contacts :)
>
> That is where we as a sub-group need to start to talk things up BETTER and
> MORE
> at clubs in general and making presentations to those same clubs and talking
> on
> those split frequency devices in the upper portions of 2m, 1 1/4m, and 70cm.
>
> We need to teach the 'greenhorns' what is acceptable and what should be done
> where and how. Show them that they can do more with just a little change of
> how
> they have their antennas, coax, opening up the squelch and turning off that
> tone
> board. Show them that you can use the NOAA transmissions as a propagation aid
> to knowing when conditions are good even for that Frequency Modulated mode.
>
> So when was the last time any of us have done a presentation for a local club
> or
> a forum at your clubs hamfest? I attended a club breakfast a few weeks ago to
> give
> a friend bearings for a rotor he was rebuilding for me and the tupperware
> container
> that I had them in also had parts and boards for a few of the W1GHZ 'cheap
> transverters'
> in it. That started a good discussion about what I know was happening locally
> on
> the lower halves of 6m, 2m, and 70cm along with my exploits into the Microwave
> regions. That last the whole time I was there for the breakfast and was
> enjoyable.
> Planning on the next time I go, to have the rover decked out to show it off.
>
> So who is going to be the first to say they have scheduled a presentation at a
> local club(s) or a forum at their small hamfest(s) in the next couple of
> months?
>
> As my Microwave elmer NE8I says:
> "We make Activity HAPPEN!!!"
>
> James W8ISS
> =====
> ----- Ralph Parker<rparker@dccnet.com> wrote:
>>> ... create a Single-Op FM-only category (100 W max, 50/144/222/440 MHz)...
>> Let's hope they all don't set up shop on 50.125!
>>
>> Ralph, VE7XF
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