[UK-CONTEST] Uk activity on VHF

[Ray James]

--- On Thu, 8/4/10, Regwoolley at aol.com <Regwoolley at aol.com> wrote:

> Theses  are my own views and not those of the RSGB or any of its committees. 

> As I organise the VHF stream at the RSGB Convention that was the reason for the footnote. 

In that case Reg I feel it was an unnecessary footnote.
You're stating the obvious. You wrote them so they're your views.
I don't know how others feel about such footnotes but I personally find they come across with an air of pomposity and an attempt to place increased credibility to a personal view expressed but because the writer  
also happens to be part of some decision making committee or organisation he feels we need to know that fact yet distancing his views from the individual or collective views of those others. 
As I said, totally unnecessary. 


> However you have totally missed the point!
> The areas I mentioned  even outside contests have little activity.
> Can you blame the RSGB VHFCC and its not allowing ON4KST for that too? 

No, because as I have written previously, there are numerous means available to the RSGB to encourage greater use of the VHF+ spectrum throughout the whole of the UK for weak signal working. Contests just happen to one of the most important and easy attributes in the toolbox.
I congratulate and acknowledge the CC on what it has done to invigorate UKAC's in England with the "club" aspect but this is solely an English phenomenon on 2m/70cm and even then, limited in geography. The areas where much needs to be done remain those furthest from the South East high density amateur population locations where the impact of M2 is felt the most and systems like ON4KST, when used properly for scheduling but absolutely no information exchange, enhance the operating experience should someone chose to use them.       

>As for an English contest as the vast majority of the population live in England (say's he a Welshman in G). Then it goes without saying the entrants will be on the main in England! 

Well, as an Englishman of Welsh (Anglesey) extraction living in Scotland I would remind you it is a United Kingdom Activity Contest and it reflects very badly on the RSGB and the CC national interest when you observe that many English radio clubs can produce team numbers that surpass all the combined operators from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, The Channel Islands and Isle of Man put together in 2m UKAC's! Surely that says something is wrong and not working except for populous pockets within England?   
 
> Your constant referral in almost any post to ON4KST in anything to do 
> with VHF contests, is in my View stiffening any form of useful debate. 
> are now just not posting as they know you will chip in. 

There's been plenty of debate for and against and folk are free to make their own opinions known. Interestingly, the divide is usually that those in the remoter parts of the UK want the choice to do as every other country in Europe does except the UK and use the 2m/70cm ON4KST chatroom or DXC to arrange a schedule and establish if a contact is possible. The UK is on it's own in banning it's use. Despite the RSGB ban, EU operators continue to appear on KST or the Cluster making announcements of frequency and QTF towards G which those within range of DL/PA/OZ etc can then take advantage of so remoter UK locations get another nail in the coffin!
The fact that the KST/DXC ban painted a picture of dishonest UK operators didn't go down well either. In particular when the CC wouldn't (couldn't) substantiate it except for the occasion Reg got his collar felt by 'FCT.


> I will not reply further to this thread. Your views are known on
> ON4KST, so are mine.

Ditch the ban and M2!

73 Ray GM4CXM