[VHFcontesting] June Contest Proposal

[Lee Scott - AA1YN]

>Ten Categories:

???

Seems to me, back in the early 70's we only had 2 categories - single and 
multi. If you look at the number of logs submitted vs the number of hams 
who had equipment to participate, I bet you would find there was a much 
better ratio. - but those were the good old days of the Gooney box and what 
not.

As far as splitting the contest up into so many categories, it is in fact 
already done. If you take the time to download the results and put them 
into a spreadsheet. You can even get these results just by limiting your 
query on the League website and see how you did on 6 meters vs everyone 
else in your high/low/qrp power single/multi/rover op category. This gives 
you 14 bands times 6 ways of looking at either QSOs or Multipliers for a 
total of 168 ways of looking at the scores - why do we need more 
categories? How about an FM only category?

Personally, the only one I'm competing against is myself in these 
contests.  My goal is to better myself both in operating and in equipment 
though it is nice to see how I compare with others.

I enjoy the VHF and UHF contests and I will send in my logs. Unfortunately 
with the Jan 2003 contest, I procrastinated and then got too busy with 
other things and forgot to send in the best score I have had to date. It 
happens.

I feel we should send in our logs to show the league we want the contest to 
continue. Either that or the League should realize that the number of logs 
submitted is not the important factor but the amount of participation in 
the contest is.

If you are trying to break down the contest so you see yourself in a better 
light compared with others then I have a problem with that.  I have a few 
operators in New Hampshire who I doubt I could ever compete against (AF1T 
and K1TR) in the SOLP category.  They have good locations where I have a 
poor location but at least I beat AF1T on 6m in the Jan 2003 contest for 
the first time.  He was sick in bed and missed the opening. Contests are 
for fun and the object is to have fun and if there is a little competition 
amongst a couple of hams then that's where the fun is. Though I will admit 
some day I will turn AF1Ts antennas 180 degrees so I can legitimately beat 
him. But then again it doesn't help me when I alert him about openings to 
other grids and who is on a band. Quite often you'll hear a group of us 
working a new station up the bands.

My vote is to leave the contests as they are and maybe someday the League 
will find it in their heart to publish the scores again in QST. When that 
happens, I use the Gooney Box again.

The way I see to increase the logs submitted is to make every contest a 
club contest so there is more incentive to send in the logs (Sorry NEWS - I 
forgot!). Maybe another is peer pressure - get others or help others to 
submit logs.

My next station improvement is occurring this coming Saturday and it should 
be the biggest improvement yet - the local electric utility is replacing a 
majority of their equipment in the neighborhood to solve my electrical 
noise problem. Watch out since this should lower my noise floor by about 20db!!


Lee Scott - AA1YN
Home of the VHF & Up Register http://www.aa1yn.com/vhf
Hooksett, NH
FN43gc52