Not if there are rules in place to prevent this ("mode hopping"). Something
like: QSO's may only be made on recognized digital/analog frequencies/portions
of the bands and a digital and analog QSO can not be made back-to-back on the
same frequency (or similar wording of no back-to-back analog/digital QSO's
maybe similar to the HF NA sprints...).
I've been a proponent of a change in the contest rules similar to the format of
the ARRL 10m contest and have submitted a couple of proposals to ARRL and heard
crickets in return. Analog Only, Digital Only and Mixed categories allowing 2
QSO's (one analog and one digital) on each band. After reading others ideas, I
also think additional encouragement may be needed to further promote analog
operation - perhaps making analog QSO's worth additional points? But is that
enough to get the digital operators off digital and explore analog?
There were a couple of times last weekend where I went an hour without making a
QSO (4 bands, KW+ power on 6 and 2m, 100w on 222/432). I called CQ on 6 and 2m
SSB on the top of many hours and self-spotted making only a couple QSO's that
way, worked only a few multi-ops and just one (and only one) rover on 1 band
from 1 grid. Chat rooms got me a only a couple more skeds and QSO's. It was
beyond boring (thank goodness I could watch football on my iPad while
operating). Trying to get stations to QSY on FT8 to other bands was also a
challenge and I had a higher failure rate than success rate.
73,
Ed K3DNE
EM94
> On 09/17/2025 9:27 AM EDT David R Buckwalter via VHFcontesting
> <vhfcontesting@contesting.com mailto:vhfcontesting@contesting.com> wrote:
>
>
> 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 mailto:k1ep.list@gmail.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 7:30 AM
> To: Terry Price <terry@directivesystems.com mailto:terry@directivesystems.com>
> Cc: K3SK@buckwalter.co mailto:K3SK@buckwalter.co; NEWS
> <NEWSVHF@mailman.qth.net mailto:NEWSVHF@mailman.qth.net>; VHF Contesting
> <VHFcontesting@contesting.com mailto: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 <mailto:k1ep@arrl.net mailto:k1ep@arrl.net>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 16, 2025, 20:38 Terry Price <terry@directivesystems.com
> mailto:terry@directivesystems.com <mailto: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
> <mailto: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
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> >
> >
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