[UK-CONTEST] 432MHz AFS Sunday 7th February

[Rob Harrison]

Ray,

I should have chosen my contest title more carefully. I said NAC, well NAC 
is on that night, as is UKAC, most of the other European countries also have 
a contest on that night, for the same reasons we do, although many would 
struggle to reach Scandinavia from their locations, HB9/I/S5/YU, etc . My 
point was that activity is Europe wide on Tuesday's, and the cluster 
reflects that activity, it's not just NAC.

You're correct in your observations regarding "fresh" meat. From the point 
of view of a contest station, he's going to go for the best pts/qso rate he 
can, and as we are to the west of Europe in general, east is where all the 
activity is. If however a juicy GM/GI is offered on a plate, he'll swing the 
antenna, or use the 2nd system to get that in the log and then go back to 
the "killing fields". This happens occasionally here if propogation favours 
the PA/DL's to the more easterly regions, we don't get a sniff of near 
Europe here.

You make no comment on my ideas for a seperate activity night, or year long 
event.

We'll have to agree to disagree (that phase keeps popping up on here) over 
'KST and skeds.  23cms is another matter. Each point of view is valid from 
where we stand. Location is the key/problem!

73

Bob  G8HGN




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray James" <gm4cxm at yahoo.co.uk>
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 2:12 AM
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] 432MHz AFS Sunday 7th February


>
>
>
> --- On 12/2/10, Rob Harrison wrote:
>
>> I would wager the UK spotters are non-contesters.
>
> Nowadays Bob, in the main, yes. Competitors are now reluctant to give away 
> any potential advantage when finding a new multiplier or DX station.
> Should someone spot something "required" and within workable range you can 
> rest assured anyone "running" and within range will stop and go for the 
> meat someone has put on their plate.
> As I've mentioned previously, I was in the habit of spotting fellow GM's 
> and then noted the immediate occurrence of loads of stations suddenly 
> become audible to work who I'd spotted, only to return to a previous beam 
> heading and never to be heard again in GM. So I stopped serving meat in 
> favour of letting folk search for GM multipliers/DX themselves. You want 
> the meat then look for it yourself.
>
>> I've said before setting up skeds in a contest for me breaks the flow of 
>> things. If it were allowed I still don't think I'd use it.
>
> To be perfectly honest, stations within spitting distance of the EU 
> activity don't usually require the facility unless wanting to really push 
> the envelope on a few more 700Km+ or 800Km+ contacts whereas in remoter 
> parts of the UK with no great chance of actually winning overall, it 
> provides the opportunity for some challenging distant contacts that like 
> microwaves, require some scheduling as long as all contact information is 
> carried out over the air. Time has moved on, new technologies are a 
> natural result and the community will use them. As long as they are not 
> abused and everyone has the choice to use them or not then I see no reason 
> for banning schedules on VHF+. It is so different to HF contesting though 
> I guess I might miss a lot if I had 2 x 23 elements on 40m like I do on 
> 70cm!
>
>> You have to take account of the larger number of Eu
>> stations active, there must be a least 25 countries in
>> Europe active on a NAC evening, so relatively speaking, the
>> percentage of spotters per active stations is small.
>
> Way off Bob, sorry!
> NAC stands for the Nordic Activity Contest.
> It's a contest for Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark that has been in 
> existence long before the RSGB dreamed up the UKAC's.
> The majority of spots are intra-Scandinavian or Scandinavia to countries 
> within workable range on whatever VHF, UHF or Microwave session it happens 
> to be. The Baltic states plus UA, SP, OK, DL, and PA countries total way 
> less than your 25 countries!
> Some of the UKAC's coincide with the last 2 hours of the NAC's which means 
> a reasonable number of the EU's who can work Scandinavia are also in range 
> of working into the UK so though they have no contest themselves, they 
> come on because there is a guarantee of activity. That will obviously 
> produce spotting of UK stations and EU self spotting which then results in 
> UK operators going for meat they wouldn't otherwise work or otherwise have 
> to find for themselves. DR3M is a very good example.
>
>
>> It'll be interesting to see what comes out of the IARU
>> meeting re 'KST, either way, and how the Amateur population reacts.
>
> Hopefully, common sense will prevail.
> The REF proposal is dire because it is a total ban and covers all bands 
> which would decimate UHF and Microwaves where some means of scheduling and 
> talk back is essential.
> I can't understand the REF proposal because.....
>
> -------------------------
> "CT08_C5_39 CONTEST RULES/PROCEDURES
>
> There was a very wide divergence of views on this paper. As it was,
> in any case, a late paper, it was suggested that the authors be asked
> to rewrite it and circulate the revised proposal via the newsletter
> for feedback before resubmitting the paper to the next Interim
> meeting of C5. This was agreed. Action point: F6ETI.
> -------------------------
>
> The divergence of views was centred on frequency coverage so why on earth 
> have the French ignored input and submitted an all encompassing proposal?
>
> The Slovenian counter proposal fits the bill with scheduling permitted but 
> no "off air" information exchange, self spotting or direction/frequency 
> announcing.
>
> Those deviating from the spirit of a contest should be disqualified unlike 
> the present RSGB CC stance whereby everyone in the UK is hammered instead.
>
> David has already stated here of his personal objection to scheduling but 
> I fervently hope he puts UK WIDE VHF+ interests above his individual 
> consideration. Lets wait and see what he brings back, how he voted on our 
> behalf and what the rest of the Region 1 representatives went for.
>
> 73 Ray GM4CXM
>
>
>
>
>
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