[UK-CONTEST] VHF Contesting Activity

[David, G3YYD]

Ray

With the changes made it does not answer the problem of challenge and 
reward. HF contesting provides a really rich environment to work in. The 
levels of skill needed to be a reasonable contester are much much 
higher. Let us take CQ WW contests. There are 6 bands of propagation to 
juggle with, knowing when to run and when to S&P. When to change band. 
Understanding how to maximum scores not just QSOs. When is the best time 
to take time out and have some sleep/refreshment for a SO. With multi 
ops when do I schedule which operator to get the best result with all 
their different abilities and skills. What category should I enter. What 
are the technical aspects I need to have in place? I can make well over 
1,000 QSOs in a HF weekend contest and the top SO2R ops probably above 
2,000 QSOs.

How do you get that sort of skill demand and activity level in a VHF 
contest? Basically you can't for a straight VHF contest.

I was at this year's HF convention and a contest university was run, it 
was packed to standing room only.  OK many were experienced contesters, 
but most were not. Is there a VHF and above equivalent? If there is, I 
have never heard of it. How about holding contest universities for VHF 
and above?

I take the point about within UK contests. Judging by what I hear on 80M 
then within UK HF contests are very popular with attendant high QRM 
levels as the band does not have enough bandwidth and that is also part 
of the challenge. How can we get an equivalent on say 2M? How about the 
guys who have excellent QTHs and dominate the results? Why not like 
BARTG RTTY contests have a compulsory expert category for those who made 
a top ten position in any of the last 3 years- incidentally I am the 
only G currently in that BARTG category. This then gives a chance to the 
guys with poorer QTHs to do well in a category.

I take the point about weak signal work, yep I can get about 2200KM from 
my QTH with enhanced propagation may be a little more if I am lucky to 
2500KM. Most of the time there is no enhanced propagation so I am 
limited to about 500 to 600KM on troposcatter. Quite frankly that is 
nothing compared to what can be done on HF and even on 160M where I can 
exceed that maximum VHF enhanced range every night. What is the 
incentive for me to use my 2M station for DXing when I find 160M DXing a 
much greater challenge then the simplicity of 2 metres with its low 
activity levels?

There may be a lot of clubs around, but unless the members find 
contesting interesting the clubs will not do it. Amateur Radio is a 
voluntary activity and to get people to do things the "landscape" needs 
to be gardened to enable them to have enthusiasm and drive in that area. 
The VHF contesting activity speaks for itself about how people are 
responding in the current climate. So how can the climate be changed and 
I for one would suggest need to start looking at why within UK HF 
contests are so popular and how to link with those contests to encourage 
VHF contest activity. May be initially as gaining bonus point alongside 
an HF club/team contest? We need to think creatively and step outside 
the VHF/HF silo mentality.

David G3YYD