I echo KO9A's post on 3830. Meteor Scatter activity on MSK144 seemed to be
sharply down during the ARRL VHF weekend, especially on 2m. I wish people who
insist on staying on FT8 would discover the excitement of this interactive mode.
Somehow, FT4 has become a forgotten mode in recent years. It is a much better
mode for making QSOs when QSB is at play, whether it is Es or distant
tropospheric conditions. Majority of the distant QSOs are made when signals
finally appear out of the noise for a short period of time. Then they disappear
until the next cycle. Maybe, aircraft scatter is at play more than we know.
Peter
Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
On Wed, Sep 17, 2025 at 8:25 AM, Terry Price<terry@directivesystems.com>
wrote: While I like that idea, whichever mode is split, those folks will
complain
I fear. If
Rovers go out for the mode that's split that wouldn't work. I will admit
just operating FT8 on a single radio is like watch paint dry. This past
weekend I did 222 and 432 on separate radios and it kept me hoping to watch
both radios and switch modes every so often.
I also think that if modes were split, FT8 folks may try more analog if no
one is on digital and they might find they can work more than they think.
And during morning hours on analog we would see more cw and SSB scatter
which has become a lost art.
Terry Price - W8ZN
Directive Systems and Engineering
703-754-3876
On Wed, Sep 17, 2025, 7:30 AM Ed Parish <k1ep.list@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well, if you go for a 48 hour contest, 24 analog and 24 digital, how about
> splitting it 12/24/12 to encourage people to work both modes and stick
> around? Instead of having people on for the first 24 and QRT or just get on
> for the second 24?
>
> Ed Parish, K1EP
> k1ep@arrl.net
>
> On Tue, Sep 16, 2025, 20:38 Terry Price <terry@directivesystems.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Well, I said make the contest a full 48 hrs, 24 digital and 24 analog.
>> Comments about too many modes is kinda correct, you don't know where to
>> go.
>> You call CQ on SSB/CW and you miss FT8 folks, go to FT8 you miss analog
>> folks. That's why I think having two segments really fits well. Both modes
>> get evening, morning and day. If someone is opposed to digital, they
>> operate whichever segment is analog. This also would reduce the "Sunday
>> afternoon blues" when you'll do anything to work someone.
>>
>> So right now, there is SOLP and SOHP and analog only, for the folks that
>> only want to work digital, there is no digital award only that I am aware
>> of. Yes, it may be creating another category but it's not just so
>> "everyone
>> wins" Digital isn't going anywhere and to think the league will remove
>> digital from VHF contests is not realistic. Anyone who has contested for a
>> while knows that FT8 is NOT a contest mode, yes you can dig out folks that
>> are too weak for cw or folks that don't operate cw, but neither is Q65,
>> MSK144 for that matter but folks don't abuse those.
>>
>> I for one see nothing wrong with an analog only, digital only and for us
>> guttens' both modes - and awards, I personally would love a 48 hour VHF
>> contest as long as there is activity to keep me awake. I couldn't make the
>> CQ VHF analog but I did operate the digital and if the results are correct
>> I was #1 in the US. I operated two K3's, one on 6 and one driving a
>> transverter for two. The challenge was keeping both going and trying not
>> to
>> miss anything. It wasn't the same fun as analog and recognising someone by
>> their voice or fist but it wasn't that bad.
>>
>> I've been contesting since 1978 when I worked with WA8LXJ in Kentucky.
>> I've
>> singleop'ed, multiop'ed, and roved. I loved roving but getting folks to
>> QSY
>> is difficult on FT8 and you miss a lot when folks are hanging out on FT8
>> all the time so dividing the contest into two sections would also help
>> rovers and hopefully spur more to get on. Is the idea perfect, of course
>> not, what in life is perfect?
>>
>> Terry
>> Terry Price - W8ZN
>> Directive Systems and Engineering
>> 703-754-3876
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 4:43 PM David R Buckwalter via VHFcontesting <
>> vhfcontesting@contesting.com> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > Here is my 3-1/2¢ on using analog and digital modes for the ARRL VHF
>> > contests.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > There is an easy solution. Just read on ===
>> >
>> > First, it is not just about FT8. Some operators use other digital
>> modes as
>> > well. This past weekend’s contest I logged CW, SSB, FT8, MSK, Q65 and
>> > JT65 contacts.
>> >
>> > Separating the contest for either analog or digital format is dumb.
>> There
>> > are already too many things going on in life to worry about dedicating
>> > another weekend for contesting. Splitting the same weekend into slots
>> > for
>> > analog and digital is a bad idea. Which format gets the morning tropo
>> time
>> > slot? What format gets the daytime Sporadic E? Does MSK144 for meteor
>> > scatter get assigned to the mornings, evenings, night, or afternoon?
>> What
>> > about those like myself that add multipliers using digital modes to work
>> > EME? Do we get to use digital when the moon is available at our
>> location?
>> >
>> > Over the past 3 to 4 years there has been much discussion on this
>> subject
>> > and the one significant point made is Analog operators (SSB & CW) will
>> not
>> > work digital stations. In most cases the analog stations don’t even
>> own
>> > digital equipment or software. However, whether they choose to or not,
>> > Digital operators have the ability and many do work ‘Mixed Mode’, both
>> > digital and analog.
>> >
>> > Considering this, the most logical thing to do is change the rules for
>> > scoring and operating categories. Keep the current operating categories
>> > including ‘Analog Only’. Then, add a new ‘Digital Only’ category.
>> Create
>> > a
>> > points incentive for analog contacts. As an example, use the current
>> point
>> > values for digital modes, then add 1 point to those values for each
>> analog
>> > contact. A 144MHz now 1 point, will be 2 points if an analog contact is
>> > made, a 222MHz contact is now 2 points and will be 3 if it is for an
>> analog
>> > contact. This provides an incentive for ‘Mixed Mode’ stations to seek
>> out
>> > and work analog contacts. Still permit only one valid contact per band
>> > with
>> > any station. If a station is previously worked digital and then is
>> later
>> > worked analog, allow the higher point analog contact, letting the
>> previous
>> > logged digital contact to become the ‘DUPE’. ‘Digital Only’ are
>> > competing
>> > with other ‘Digital Only’ even if they work a ‘Mixed Mode’ station.
>> It’s
>> > the same for ‘Analog Only’ stations. There is no downside to this
>> method
>> > of scoring.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Yes, I know the logging software will need to be revised. But that’s
>> got
>> > nothing to do with making everybody happy and increasing activity.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > FWIW – I have been VHF contesting since 1980
>> >
>> > Dave - K3SK - FM07
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
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>> > VHFcontesting@contesting.com
>> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>> >
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