[UK-CONTEST] Activity during VHF contests (& the rest of the time?)

[Paul pasquet]

Hello Ken
 
I think the big slide in activity started when there was no longer any need to spend time on the higher bands due to the abolition of the class B licence.
I well remember when I got my B class licence knowing very little about VHF having been an HF SWL for a few years,but because I didnt have HF access I discovered the joys of chasing DX on VHF.
Now there is no need to spend time on VHF because HF is open to all and that is where most of the new licencees go after passing the various exams,unless of course they had a prior interest in VHF.
It seems as if you have found most of them on 80 and 40.
Ive lost count of  local amateurs to me who think that 144Mhz =FM only operation,and most of them moan that they dont bother with ssb because theres nobody down there.Of course it can seem a bit quiet on a vertical antenna!
As far as the lack of activity in the cities is concerned I think thats due to various issues such as,planning,local noise,poor antennas,TVI etc etc.Taking into account the slide in VHF ops as well then I guess its not too surprising we dont hear more activity from them.
The problems dont seem to apply just to the UK,Ive noticed the lack of DX in certain directions even when 144Mhz is well open,there just does not seem to be the same amount of activity as there was.
On the plus side it means when something rare pops up, the pile ups are pretty much non existant!
 
 
Paul G4RRA
 
 
 
 http:/mysite.freeserve.com/4rra> From: ken.g3lvp at btinternet.com> To: uk-contest at contesting.com> Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:31:12 +0100> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Activity during VHF contests (& the rest of the time?)> > > I note Roger's comments with interest but they only tell part of the story,> what is really worrying is G4KPW's comment in 'claimed scores' that only 103> 'G' stations were worked during the recent 2m Trophy contest (I assume that> this number included GM, GW, etc and the various flavours of all these> calls). Even taking into account the conditions and weather that's a very> small number especially when you consider how many of the ~ 60k UK amateurs> are apparently equipped with multi-band multi-mode transceivers these days.> Why are so few of the more recently licensed stations taking part even if> just to give points away and in particular why are there so few Foundation &> Novice calls heard (maybe the answer to that is that they're all on 80 or 40> m with their G5RV's).> No one has so far been able to explain the lack of activity from the big> cities, London, Brum & Manchester. There use to be plenty of stations active> from the London suburbs but this seems no longer to be the case, ~12 Million> inhabitants and no active amateurs on VHF, have they all taken to the hills?> > 73....> > Ken> > G3LVP/A1314 (it seems as if I got that wrong before)> > Tuning high to low & the middle out, none of these sissy Dx Clusters &> Internet chat rooms.> > > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.> Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.20/1666 - Release Date: 11/09/08 07:03> > > _______________________________________________> UK-Contest mailing list> UK-Contest at contesting.com> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
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