[UK-CONTEST] Re Decline in VHF/UHF contest activity

[Ray James]

--- On Fri, 12/9/08, Paul O'Kane <pokane at ei5di.com> wrote:

CXM
What is your thoughts on the validity or otherwise of contacts that take place by schedule by the above systems bands above 70cm and please explain your reasons why? 

DI
> If they are contest QSOs, I see them as having no validity, because the skeds are arranged on band/modes/technologies that do not correspond to the class of entry.
*****

Thanks for answering the loaded question Paul, and in exactly the way I had expected from you. 
In a stroke, your viewpoint would render a massive percentage of contest contacts in countries throughout the world from years ago to the present day as invalid. I did say VHF/UHF and Microwaves have to be considered a different beast to HF. 

It probably reinforces why amateur radio contesting in the UK would still benefit from having a separate HFCC and VHFCC rather than a combined rule making committee.   

There are more HF contest operators than VHF/UHF/Microwave contest operators in the UK. Under the new joint committee one would expect therefore there would be more HF than VHF/UHF/Microwave contesters making up the committee and rightly so. The downside is that though the member(s) representing my and other VHF/UHF/Microwave contest operators interests has an equal say, he or they can be easily out voted by HF majority committee members wishing to impose HF style contest attributes onto the VHF/UHF and Microwave fraternity.  

It could be that this is precisely what has happened regarding the cluster, KST and the like? The jaws of the HF element of the new combined committee probably dropped to the polished oak desk when learning VHF/UHF/Microwave operators actually have the ability to chat to each other and arrange a schedule for a contest qso.....wow, this isn't allowed on HF so it ain't gonna be allowed on our watch. For all we know, the abuse allegations where just a smokescreen. It was easier to stop use of such mediums as and when they did than stop the contest season after it had started in order to instigate assisted/unassisted sections later.
Guess it'll appear as a "result of the members survey" ;-)
No wonder all the contest groups and individuals who researched for this claimed abuse found little or nothing, it wasn't there in the first place or if was, it was an incredibly small number.
Enough to warrant separate assisted and unassisted sections in the future?
I think not but if they come, okay, but I do hope they do something serious to encourage inter-UK working whilst they're at rule and multiplier changes. 


73 Ray GM4CXM