[UK-CONTEST] Domineering VHF Contest Stations.......

[Ray James]

--- On Thu, 7/5/09, Geoff Morris <gw3atz at btopenworld.com> wrote:

> It seems to me that whatever you do with the rules etc. for
> VHF 
> contests, there will always be stations that will do better
> than others. 
> Give the consistant leaders in recent events my 50 watts
> and 5ele yagi, 
> and they will still knock spots off my efforts. That will
> not stop me 
> entering, I like contests. I like to see if I can do better
> than last 
> time. Try different aerials. See if I can beat the locals,
> G8ZRE and 
> GW4EVX, who are not to far from me. Propogation and
> geography dictate 
> that there can be no such thing as a level playing field.


You're absolutely correct Geoff.
Certainly my suggestions in part would not eradicate the absolute advantage east coastal stations have enjoyed for so long but would require them to reconsider their strategy in order to maintain the enormous difference in points and contact numbers they currently enjoy in the UK Activity Contests.
If everything was rosy in VHF+ contest garden then nobody would have reason to complain. Unfortunately that is not the case and too often we read reports of poorly supported contests, in particular, non-UKAC events.
In VHF FD for example, leading UK stations on 2m are finishing with contact numbers I would have been disappointed had we not achieved by midnight on the Saturday from our Mull of Galloway site in the 1980's.
So what we have seen is a tale of opposite outcomes. Steadily increasing numbers of amateurs each year but declining VHF+ activity. Tune around the SSB/CW portions of 2m, 70cm and 23cm any evening and just listen to the noise, unfortunately it's white noise. Something has to be done on a national scale, and I mean national.
Nobody objects to a well sited station operating a well engineered station run by a competent operator doing well but when the rules translate to the rest of the UK pissing against the wind, no wonder it isn't working despite being the perfect regular monthly event for attracting activity. 

Responsibility lies with the rule makers, the Contest Committee, to wake up to the VHF+ contest decline and do something positive to raise national participation again. If they're not doing the job they were appointed or volunteered to do then why isn't the VHF Manager prodding them as well as coming up with other non-contest VHF+ promotional plans?
I'm not just laying blame on the current CC. This has been happening certainly over the last 20 years and beggars belief why it's been allowed by the RSGB for this trend to continue. 

As an example:
VHF FD Open Section

1997
  CALL      QSO's
1 M0BAA     814
2 G1WPF     736
3 G4ZAP     500

1998
1 G4LIP     801
2 M0BAA     790
3 G4ZAP     581

1999
1 G4LIP     801
2 M0BAA     821
3 G0VHF     556

2000
1 GD0EMG    597
2 M0BAA     674
3 GM4ZUK    335

2001 Cancelled - F&M

2002
1 G4LIP/P   700
2 G3WSC/P   522
3 G0VHF/P   474

2003
1 G0VHF/P   657
2 G0FBB/P   608
3 G5LK/P    602

2004
1 G0FBB/P   578
2 G0VHF/P   518
3 G5LK/P    496

2005
1 G5LK/P    699
2 G0FBB/P   650
3 G0VHF/P   569

2006
1 G0VHF/P   498
2 G0FBB/P   456
3 G5LK/P    448

2007
1 G0VHF     391
2 G0FBB     380
3 G3FJE     339

2008
1 G5LK     465
2 GM4ZUK   265
3 G0VHF    344

Further back into the 80's as GM4CXM/P or GM3WCS/P, we were regularly knocking up 700 - 900 contacts with a far smaller amateur population than we enjoy today. 

We don't need handicaps, elite sections or FM only contests, just more UK inclusive rules within our contests to try and inspire more UK licensees to make an appearance, enjoy the events and return for more.

73 Ray GM4CXM