[UK-CONTEST] Latest IARU C5 VHF Newsletter

[Ray James]

The latest newsletter can be found at:

http://www.iaru-r1.org/VHF%20Newsletters.htm

Good to observe that concerns of VHF activity and contesting is widespread.
Both go hand in hand but contesting in particular has a major role to play. The benefits of increasing UK VHF/UHF Microwave contest participation are too numerous to mention.
I also note another Region 1 concern is the lack of newcomers into the hobby venturing onto the VHF bands. This is certainly true of weak signal modes. 

The monthly UK Activity Contests are the perfect learning ground for newcomers to cut their teeth and old hands to have some extra fun knowing (or hoping) plenty stations will be active and keen to have a contact.
Unfortunately, the Contest Committee are letting us down big style by not imposing rules that promote greater UK participation.
In particular, the dreaded M2 Multiplier.
This basis for contest scoring is great if you live in the middle of Europe with 360 degrees of activity but the fact is we in the UK don't.

A UK Activity Contest needs rules that enhance UK participation. Rules that encourage activity from folk new and old and not include M2 that is so heavily biased to how close one is to continent. 
We need to encourage operators from throughout the UK to participate.
Make everyone feel they are "wanted" with a postal code or county multiplier. Okay, someone working a DL, OK or HB9 may have a shorter length QSO but they still need the UK multipliers to build up a good score. It would likely move the winning bias from the south east of the UK to somewhere central but wait a minute.......that's where it should be in a UK Activity Contest!


It is apparent the survey taken this summer was incomplete in so far that even on this reflector, some were unaware of its existence. 

73 Ray GM4CXM