Les and everyone - Good points all.
But when it comes down to it, the answer lies in ourselves - Get on the air.
Get on often. Call CQ when you don’t hear anyone. Turn the beam and call CQ
again. Encourage activity at clubs. Encourage newbies and experienced hands as
well to submit logs for the club competition. Support your local rover. Write
short article for your club newsletter.
Having said that, the ARRL could certainly do more to promote VHF/UHF activity.
When the ARRL Board of Directors decided not to suspend the VUAC sunset
provision, killing the committee, they not too subtly sent a message to all of
us that they don’t care for organized and structured advice on VHF and UHF
matters, as the committee left a lot of work unfinished. I suppose I understand
the action of the board as the committee generated a lot of controversy on
subjects like assistance in EME and pack roving, which could not really be
resolved, and that resulted in a lot of communications from members to
directors that the individual directors really had no way to resolve. But if a
new VHF/UHF advisory committee could be formulated that would address
increasing VHF/UHF activity, I think that would be a productive thing for the
ARRL board of directors to do and would certainly compliment their defense of
our spectrum effort.
In lieu of organized and focused advice from the likes of the VHF/UHF Advisory
Committee (VUAC), and in recognition that many members of the ARRL board do not
have VHF weak signal experience, it is important that we inform our directors
on matters pertaining to VHF, and to do so in a rational and reasoned manner.
Suggest to your director that you are knowledgeable in matters VHF, UHF, and
microwave, and are available for advice on such matters. Suggest to him that
the board take action on matters concerning VHF/UHF that are important to you.
Another subtle manifestation of the breakup of the VUAC is that the Contest
Advisory Committee (CAC) must now assume the responsibilities of advising the
board on matters concerning the VHF, UHF, and microwave contests. In the past,
when I wrote my representative on the CAC on matters concerning VHF/UHF
contests he politely but firmly declined action, saying that was the purview of
the VUAC. As the VUAC no longer exists, the CAC must assume the role that they
have previously declined to fill. So write your CAC member, and if he is not a
VHF/UHF contester, offer your expertise to that person. Also tell him the
things you think need to be changed or implemented in VHF/UHF contesting. If
the representative demurs, remind him that the VUAC no longer exists and that
their responsibility falls to them. Although the advisory committees can only
act on direction from the board, they should be knowledgeable in potential
issues in the arena of VHF/UHF contesting that may arise.
When the ARRL instituted the limited classes in the VHF/UHF contests first in
the multi category, then in the rover category, and now the three band single
op, the unintended (I hope) consequence was to discourage people from using the
microwave bands, and for the three band category to discourage the use of the
222 MHz band. I suspect that one reason Marshall is selling off his microwave
gear because it is easier and less costly for him to be competitive in the
Limited Multioperator category than in the Multioperator class. If you add up
the amount of money that Marshall has invested in the gear he is selling, and
the cost of maintaining it, it is a lot of money to have invested in a class
that you struggle to win in most contests. But he can drop the microwaves,
improve his limited multiop station, and be more competitive in the limited
class, particularly when there is sporadic E propagation. In population areas
where there is little microwave activity, the chances of being competitive in
the all band categories is low.
Marshall is not alone in this, I have pretty much abandoned the Classic Rover
category for the Limited Rover category in the VHF contests, as have other
rovers, even though I have 1296 MHz and 902 MHz, as I can consistently be
competitive in the limited rover category, finishing in the top 10 nationally
with a bit of help from propagation, while I am lucky to break into the top
quartile in the Classic Rover category even with good propagation. And given
the lack of microwave stations out here, realistically, I will never be able to
break the top ten in the classic rover class. So I am part of the problem, but
I feel forced in that direction in an attempt to be competitive.
What to do about all this? This e-mail is already too long, so I will leave
that for another day. But there are two issues, encouraging activity in
general, and I think that a revitalized VUCC program will help there, and
increasing contest activity, a much harder problem as so many people, including
myself, have so many vested interests.
Meanwhile, write your director with your concerns. - Duffey KK6MC
--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM
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