[UK-CONTEST] Domineering VHF Contest Stations

[Ray James]

--- On Wed, 6/5/09, ANDY COOK <g4piq at btinternet.com> wrote:

> The original post suggests that the 2m UKACs aren't
> being successful. I don't think that's quite fair
> with 100+ entrants per month. 

Sounds like more "never mind the quality, feel the width" Andy.

With respect Andy, I think it is fair.
It wouldn't be fair if all this interest to participate each month was consistent but the results speak for themselves. A little under 50% of these entrants only come on for 1 or 2 months out of 12 so though the overall entrant count sounds impressive, the real level of support/interest is alarmingly low. I haven't tabulated 2009 results (yet) but 2008 144MHz UKAC results identified another very alarming fact that over 80% of those that did enter UKAC did so from only 4 or 5 locator squares in the south/south east of the UK. Common sense tells me that is not good for the UKAC and definitely not good for the health of VHF+ interest throughout the UK. 

We need a monthly contest that not only captures interest but retains and increases it month by month. Gets old timers back on, inspires new licensees to appear, creates some local fun rivalry between clubs and generally lifts interest in VHF+ activity.

The first thing to take stock is it's a UKAC...not a "fill yer boots" with DL, PA, ON, OK, OZ activity event. If folk want to work them, good on 'em but don't reward them in a UKAC with a multiplier bonus few else in the UK can match. That's solves David's point without need for a league table.
By having only UK squares count as a multiplier, that encourages greater UK working interest. Adding postal codes as a multiplier throws it wide open to the grass roots in every corner of the UK but more importantly means the contest would be more fun because a greater level of strategy has to be employed to pick up all those potential postal codes. Suddenly, even FM and vertical polarisation has a part to play in the search for postal codes. Imagine the reaction of all those M3's and 2E0's when they hear 2m or 70cm jump to absolute life for 2.5 hours a month and they're wanted for a very quick exchange!
You can bet your bottom dollar they'll learn about the next one and join in.....and once they've taken the bate and learnt a bit more, may invest in a multimode if they haven't already and join the rest of us.
Then we can perhaps start to see VHF+ contest and general activity turned around at last for the benefit of the future of this hobby in the UK.

73 Ray GM4CXM

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