I completely agree Dave.
Sitting in a rover, pressing the memory keyer over and over for a few hours
with little to no results is bad enough. The pounce break from calling CQ
usually ending with not finding other stations other than multi S-unit
signals on the digital frequency! The only thing that would make it even
worse if the multiple $1000's of equipment was purchased by myself.
Thankfully I've been able to operate someone else's rover kit, and it is a
very nice station at that!
During the January contest I was swapping between all 3 modes to find
whomever I could. A few were found on CW/SSB, but there were 2 stations
CQing on FT8 any time I was there. I doubt they ever left.
On Fri, Jan 29, 2021, 13:35 Dave <kdcarlso@gmail.com> wrote:
> Sadly, if we don't resolve the FT8 issue I'm not sure the rover count will
> stay up either. I just bought a few amplifiers from a guy who's only been
> roving for a few years. I asked why he was giving up and his answer was
> that he wasn't going to sit in his car working FT8. He said he kept finding
> less and less activity on bands above 432 and it just wasn't worth the cost
> to add bands when he couldn't find people to move up. He doesn't have a
> good QTH for VHF so he said he's done. It's hard to argue with him when I'm
> having the same issues as a non-rover.
>
> Dave
> N2OA
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 29, 2021 at 12:26 PM Jeff Townsend <wb8lyj@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > One category that has gone up since the early 2000s are rovers. In 2019
> > there were 84 and 79 in 2020.
> >
> > > On Jan 29, 2021, at 11:02 AM, Ed Kucharski <k3dne@comcast.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > Jack: All the reasons you listed are viable. It is hard work to set-up
> a
> > multi station, even harder if it is portable. I'm sure that has something
> > to do with it. Our silent keys and aging may be factors too but the
> > differences in #'s is striking.
> > >
> > > I apologize that all my attempts to show the chart I put together got
> > messed up by the reflector - it was a much better visual than just
> reading
> > my words.
> > >
> > > In 2000 (September contests data) there were 76 multi's submitting a
> log
> > with a combined cumulative average score of the top 10 of 714K (in 2005
> > that went up to 991K) and there has been a steady decline since. In 2014
> a
> > record # of Multi logs were submitted (81) with a combined cumulative
> > average score of the top 10 of only 249K but in 2015 that # dropped to 31
> > with that avg top 10 score of 172K. The # of Multi log submissions have
> > been hanging out in the 30's since then. The combined cumulative average
> > score of the top 10 has now dropped to the low 100K area (2019 = 114K,
> 2020
> > =105K [Covid]) so different from the 991K in 2005.
> > >
> > > 73,
> > > Ed K3DNE
> > >
> > >
> > >> On 01/29/2021 9:16 AM JACK NYIRI < nyirijp@comcast.net mailto:
> > nyirijp@comcast.net > wrote:
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Ed - perhaps it is due to the increasing number of silent keys in
> > the VHF+ community.... Also, there are more and more communities with
> > restrictive conveniences that prohibit outdoor antennas.(I think this one
> > discourages the young guys from getting in the hobby.)
> > >>
> > >> I look at the drop off of operators/stations in the mid-west, south
> > and for that matter even in the east. Guys are getting older and retiring
> > to places that do not allow outdoor antennas.
> > >>
> > >> COVID has not help in the past year.
> > >>
> > >> I hope I am wrong... - 73 - Jack AB4CR
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>> On 01/29/2021 8:59 AM Ed Kucharski < k3dne@comcast.net
> mailto:
> > k3dne@comcast.net > wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> I couldn't embed the chart in the email so it is now attached.
> > >>>
> > >>> I'm doing some research and digging for data about the recent
> > thread associated with the effect FTx has had on traditional weak signal
> > modes (ssb/cw).
> > >>>
> > >>> In the process I noticed a dramatic decrease in both Limited
> > Multi and Unlimited Multi activity and scores (September VHF Contests) in
> > the mid-late 2000's and again in 2015. The authors of the results
> write-ups
> > noted this as well but didn't offer an explanation (unless I missed it).
> > >>>
> > >>> Why??? FT8 didn't begin till 2017 (according to that
> write-up).
> > Remember, I only looked at the September results! 2015 was the first year
> > allowing use of spotting in all categories (spots, chat rooms, email,
> text,
> > phone, etc.).
> > >>>
> > >>> See attached chart (Word File). I had a little difficulty
> > getting all the #'s if it wasn't mentioned in the write-up - scanning and
> > counting results - I may have missed a few either way, scores were
> rounded.
> > >>>
> > >>> Thoughts?
> > >>>
> > >>> 73,
> > >>> Ed K3DNE
> > >>>
> > >>> LM = Limited Multi
> > >>> UM = Unlimited Multi
> > >>> _______________________________________________
> > >>> VHFcontesting mailing list
> > >>> VHFcontesting@contesting.com mailto:
> > VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> > >>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> > >>>
> > >>>>
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > VHFcontesting mailing list
> > > VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> >
> > Jeff Townsend
> > WB8LYJ/R
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > VHFcontesting mailing list
> > VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> >
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