[UK-CONTEST] 144Mhz Trophy --lack of activity

[David Ferrington, M0XDF]

Well, I completely disagree, I'm sure many others will too, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

And I'll say up front that I am one of the 'new boys' having started in this hobby in 2003.

Not allowing Foundation level to work HF does nothing to encourage people to join the hobby. To a lot of new licensees VHF/UHF is no more than CB or talking to their neighbour on the phone. Having them talk just on repeaters and simplex to a few 'local' people not far away (as they would see it) doesn't encourage them to join in the first place, and getting them into the hobby it what is important in my opinion.
Further more, teaching them about HF etc at level one but not allowing them to use it, is both antagonising and pointless, because by the time they can use it, at level 2, they have forgotten what they learnt at level 1 - you must use it or loose it!

Then you have suggested that level 3 should be allowed 1kW - I think if we did that, we'd be in problems with our neighbours all the time. I for one could probably not use more than 200W here without causing lots of RFI and alienating myself and the hobby (I stick with 100w max). If we keep pushing for higher powers, Ofcom will start to consider boundaries and field strengths and we might become worse off. Just look at the fuss made about cell masts and imagine that applied to every Radio Amateur in the country, regardless of the power you actually use, the public wouldn't see it our way.

For those not in an urban environment, higher power is a possibility and I believe there is a NoV available to get that, but I don't think increasing our power limit overall is the way to go.

I have a friend who I taught Foundation and he went on to be an M0. At Intermediate he was working more DX on 50w HF than I have done with my M0 and 100w - we don't live that far apart, so it's not really about power and terrain - it is about 'iron in the sky' and skill, he has a much better antenna than I and I think is probably a better Dx op too.
73 de M0XDF

On 9 Sep 2011, at 11:07, Roger Thawley wrote:

> George,
> 	I agree entirely with your point about new entrants having access to
> HF from the outset and agree that it was a mistake to allow this. The
> ability to run higher power is a poor choice of incentive to progress
> through license levels.
> 
> I'd have voted for a licensing arrangement along the lines of:
> 
> Level one - 6M and up - 100w max.
> Level two - 6M and up - 400w max, HF - 100w max.
> Level three - Access all areas - 1kW max.
> 
> 
> Roger, G0BSU
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of G0JKZ
> Sent: 09 September 2011 09:18
> To: 'UK contest Committee'
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] 144Mhz Trophy --lack of activity
> 
> I think the problem now is down to the licencing changes. Back in the day,
> vhf and uhf were the only places a class b holder could operate.
> Consequently, 2m Field day was a very active contest. Now, because everyone
> has everything from day 1, most people just stick to HF where a few watts
> will go further. If I was an m6 now, I'd not look at 2m. There is limited
> new multimode equipment and not very much activity!  I'll get my HF set and
> 10 watts and talk cross continent reliably instead. Its not the fault of the
> amateur but the licencing system. It should always have been frequencies for
> exam passes, not power levels.
> 
> I'm just as guilty. I sold off my VHF UHF multimode set because it was not
> used enough to justify it. I had a 9 ele tonna and a 100w linear and very
> rarely heard anyone on any part of the band, even the fm section was dead.
> So.. bye bye it went and funded some new HF antennas.
> 
> George
> G0JKZ
>