If you allow working a station both Digital and Analog on each band, all you
will do is create “Mode Hopping’ …… “QSL the FN99, switch to FT8 and call me
right here again, then we can move up a band and do it again”.
From: Ed Parish <k1ep.list@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 7:30 AM
To: Terry Price <terry@directivesystems.com>
Cc: K3SK@buckwalter.co; NEWS <NEWSVHF@mailman.qth.net>; VHF Contesting
<VHFcontesting@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [NEWSVHF] [VHFcontesting] Here's a Proposed Solution for
Digital/Analog Operating
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 <mailto:k1ep@arrl.net>
On Tue, Sep 16, 2025, 20:38 Terry Price <terry@directivesystems.com
<mailto: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 <mailto: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
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> VHFcontesting mailing list
> VHFcontesting@contesting.com <mailto:VHFcontesting@contesting.com>
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>
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