[VHFcontesting] Re: CQ WW VHF Contest

[Paul St. John]

I really like the idea of the "Hilltoper QRP" category.  I like sprints. 
 They are great for folks who don't want to grunt through an entire 
contest.  I'm getting more like that since I've hit the first upper 
speed limit age (55).  It would be a very good way of getting folks to 
go out, operate from good locations, get some air and exercise, and get 
enough sleep.

- Paul St. John, N6DN

W1XX at aol.com wrote:

> Happy New Year VHF contesting galaxy!
>
> An introduction:  As has been announced in CQ Magazine, I have 
> recently picked up the reins of VHF Contest Director for CQ's July WW 
> VHF Contest.  I'd like to take the opportunity to bounce a couple of 
> ideas off the reflector re QRP entries.
>
> First, however, I want to applaud Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZ, for his 
> outstanding job in resurrecting the CQ VHF Contest from the grave.  
> Especially as a regular portable operations entry, I and many other 
> have found the 6 and 2-meter only format of the past three years a 
> welcome relief from the real hard work of a 6m-to-light operation.  
> Gene has been most helpful to me during the transition.  We wish him 
> well in his new duties with QST.
>
> Re QRP -- I operated QRP @25 w out of necessity during the 2002 
> contest and frankly noticed little difference in my score from running 
> my usual several hundred watts.  True, especially on 6 m, I may have 
> missed the 2nd and 3rd layers of callers that would have been 
> attracted to my QRO signal.  But I have also operated in ARRL contests 
> with the ARRL defined 10 watts from mountaintop locations...and that 
> will beat almost any QRO home station any time.  Also, so far in 
> processing QRP entries  for the 2002 contest, all are at 10 watts or 
> less, except two [mine is one] at 25 w.  Therefore, for consistancy 
> between contests...and recognizing radios like the FT-817 and even the 
> old Icom 502, 202, and 402 still much in use at lower power 
> levels...that QRP be defined on VHF at 10 watts.  This segways nicely 
> to a related concept.
>
> Many of you know me in past VHF Contests as a "rare grid 
> provider"....having operated portable over the years from 21 different 
> [usually rare] grids, 10 states and 3 DXCC entities....something I 
> have found very rewarding.  But the biggest obstacle to such 
> operations is the potential amount of work involved.  Eliminating 
> weekend shelter and sustenance considerations as well as "can you 
> drive there with all this stuff?"...can make for a more fun contest 
> experience.  Thus, how about a subset of the QRP category called the 
> "Hilltopper QRP"...which would be a quickee 6-hour operation...where 
> you would either drive or hike to a nice spot with minimal QRP 10 watt 
> radio....operate from the start of the contest 'til dark and go home?  
> Perhaps from a rare grid square.  If you liked it so much and wanted 
> to do it on the 2nd day...go to another neat spot in another nearby 
> grid square...sign "portable (call area)" to distinguish it from the 
> previous day's operati! on and rovers....operate six hours and call it 
> quits.  How's that for fun? This "easy does it" approach could promote 
> many more portable operations that don't require the heavy committment 
> of a full-fledged operation...and be compeitive.
>
> I am suggesting that we "unofficiallly" incorporate this into the 2003 
> CQ VHF Contest....give editorial highlights of participants in the 
> results...and give certificates to the deserving.  If the response is 
> good, put it in the offiial rules the following year.
>
> Your comments and on these two minor tweaks and any other suggestions 
> would be much appreciated.  73,
>
> -- John Lindholm, W1XX
> CQ WW VHF Contestr Director 




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