What I have really struggled to comprehend is how there can be literally
thousands and thousands of DC-daylight radios of various descriptions out there
already in peoples hands, but yet it next to impossible to get those who own
them to use them on VHF+ SSB or CW. And for them to get the motivation to put
up horizontally polarized antennas is practically unheard of.
Additionally the contests sponsors have bent over backwards trying to make
rules adjustments and new categories to encourage the owners of those radios to
put them on the air on something other than HF or FM modes. Most of these rules
tweaks are designed to make things easier for the newcomer. But yet all that
these rules adjustments seem to be accomplishing is for many of the existing
weaksignal contest ops to down-shift into these new categories.
And overlaid with all of that there are numerous propagation condition,
propagation logger, QSO chat pages and so on websites to provide clues for when
to get on try to make some Qs outside of contests. But yet all of those things
do next to nothing to entice all those DC-daylight radio owners to even try.
It is almost as if every single new thing over the last 15+ years that has made
getting on and operating the VHF weaksignal modes easier and less expensive
than ever before has had the exact opposite effect of encouraging more activity
and Qs. And this seems to be true for both contest and non contest operating.
Even the Internet driven DX Q making process like is the norm on HF these days
has done next to nothing to get more ops on the VHF weaksignal modes when the
bands might be open.
I sure wish I had a good idea for what would work to grow activity, but I have
none. I really thought that many of the things tried over the last few years
would have made a difference for increasing activity, nope. It is almost as if
everything that has made Q making easier has also removed many of the
challenges of VHF weaksignal which make it fun, but yet at the exact same time
is still far too challenging for 95% or more of the already existing
DC-daylight radio owners out there.
VHF weaksignal work has its foundations built on taking on challenges for what
can be done DX wise with radio waves at 50MHz and up, but now it seems like
nobody wants to take on any challenges of any kind anymore.
Duane
N9DG
--------------------------------------------
On Sun, 2/9/14, Les Rayburn <les@highnoonfilm.com> wrote:
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operations
To: "vhf@w6yx.stanford.edu" <vhf@w6yx.stanford.edu>, "VHF Contesting
Reflector" <vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
Date: Sunday, February 9, 2014, 11:35 AM
K5QE selling off microwave gear and
focusing on limited multi-operator
contesting? I can't help but wonder if this is another
bellwether of how
weak signal operation on VHF/UHF bands are on the decline.
My personal
experience is very limited, with less than six years on the
high bands.
But I have studied the history of weak signal VHF/UHF
operation and
believe there is genuine cause for concern.
<Snip>
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