[UK-CONTEST] Decline in 2m contest activity

[Andy Cunningham]

Chris

You're right, it is an interesting thread and as a newcomer (licensed 
this year) then I wanted to chime in with a few points...
> The decline in 2m contest activity has 2 facets - firstly - where are the 
> 10W/100W + 8ele yagi brigade, who were the 'bread and butter' (aka 'cannon 
> fodder'!) of the portables in the 1980s and early 1990s ?  My theory is that 
> the current generation have never experienced the thrill of completing a 
> 1000km QSO, so don't see 'anything in it for them' ?
>   
Nothing that sophisticated for me.  50W into a 3 ele in the back garden 
- 80m ASL, antenna about 8-10m AGL  Managed almost 500km on Sunday, and 
was thrilled to bits.   I'm about fifth from bottom in the 50 or so 
claimed scores, but I had a great time because I explored the limits of 
my equipment, and learned something.

But... I'm never going to get close to the top because of the investment 
needed in time, money and location.  And I will get bored when I stop 
learning things and go off and do something else.   I'll probably focus 
on contests which have some kind of restricted class so I can compete 
with equal stations without investing time and effort.
> The second facet is the demise of all but a few diehard 'big groups' - my 
> theory about this is that one group dominated the 2m contest scene for many 
> years, to such an extent that other groups simply 'gave up' trying to beat 
> them. You might view this as an over-simplification, but it is what has 
> happened.
>   
What happened to their kit?  Any of it need a good home? :-)

More seriously, I'd actually be interested in entering a contest with a 
bigger team, but it's difficult to plan it in with everything else I'm 
doing....

Andy