I'm sure I'm not the only "Olde Fahrt(tm)" who just isn't interested in
digital QSO's on VHF+. I generally operate Single Op Portable (QRP) in VHF+
contests. Up till now I have not wanted to bother to take and use my
laptop, as it's an energy hog and I want to conserve batteries as much as
possible to power the station. I've been working on using a Raspberry Pi to
work with digi modes. It's still a work in progress. The Raspberry Pi draws
about one tenth the current my laptop does. Hopefully I can get out again
on VHF contests (a long story why I've missed them for over a year) and
will get to try the Raspberry Pi setup.
Zack W9SZ
On Wed, Sep 17, 2025 at 11:25 AM wa2teo--- via VHFcontesting <
vhfcontesting@contesting.com> wrote:
> I think Ed, K3SK and K1DS are on the right track. Same timeframe, digital
> and analog with perhaps extra points for analog. Or not.
> I believe we all agree that the goal is to increase activity in what has
> been a declining activity. By allowing contacts on digital and analog, it
> encourages the digital guys to work analog stations. My concerns about
> other approaches :- making it a 48 hour contest is going to negatively
> impact rovers. How many can stay out that long? I don't find many out in
> the middle of the night. So we are basically limiting the time they are on
> for all practical purposes. And many rovers I work are only analog. So
> basically they are down to one day of operating, so fewer grids they can
> hit. On a different note, I see on 3830 in most contests I operate more
> hours than most single ops. Yeah, as my xyl says I'm a bit obsessed, hi.
> But even I would not feel enthused about a 48 hour vhf contest. We just
> don't have enough ops these days.
> - We had a great experiment with separate mode events this summer in CQWW.
> In fairness, 6 meters was not good either weekend from what I can tell (I
> had very limited operating in the Analog weekend). I operated the digital
> and it was really slow. And there was no option to go analog to reduce the
> lack of digital stations. And vice versa for the analog weekend. So I don't
> think having separate operating modes accomplishes anything since it
> further thins an already thin herd.
> - I worked about 140 Q's this weekend on 902 and up. All were analog. I
> don't currently have digital on those bands but I am working on that. Even
> so, it would take a lot of time to work what I did on digital and the only
> advantage would be I might add some further out Q's. So, by having separate
> operating times by mode, I think you would end up with very limited results
> on 902 and up. Basically the digital only session becomes primarily a lower
> 4 bands contest. Many of my microwave contacts were with rovers who don't
> currently operate on digital.
> So back to the top. I think the goals are met by allowing an analog Q and
> a digital on the same band. If need be, weight the analog to push activity
> there. It's a disappointing reality that we might need this. I'm old enough
> to remember when I worked more stuff than I do now on Analog only. But that
> ship has sailed and we should stay focused on how to best run all modes in
> the future to increase activity. We all need that to keep it interesting
> and fun. And given current activity levels, I don't think we will be
> overwhelmed using both. We definitely would need help from the contest
> programs so it doesn't become messy. Right now to run the sprints that
> allow both modes, I go back to the future and use a check sheet to remember
> who I worked on which mode, hi.
> Lastly, boycotting to make a point is , I believe self defeating. Imagine
> being on for your first contest and finding dismal activity because lot's
> of guys don't operate to make a point. It's really hard to find new blood
> in vhf contesting. Turning any new ops off isn't a good way to succeed. If
> we're frank about it, one of the issues since FT8 is that quite a few long
> term ops stopped operating since they didn't like it. Essentially they have
> been boycotting. I believe that is a contributor to lower analog activity.
> Why not just get on and have fun any way you enjoy? It's a VHF truism -
> activity breeds activity. A number of times this weekend I was on 6 or 2M
> ssb and didn't see any other stations on that mode.
> My .02 cents.
> Jeff K1TEO
> On Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 03:17:08 PM GMT+1, Ed Kucharski
> via VHFcontesting <vhfcontesting@contesting.com> wrote:
>
> 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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> > >
> > >
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