[VHFcontesting] ARRL kills VHF, Should we let them?

[Tree]

On Mon, Jul 19, 2004 at 02:09:44PM -0700, Ward Silver wrote:

> > Aren't  there are other groups out there that could support our VHF
> contesting efforts? Why not try and solicit them?
> 
> Yes, but I've got an even better idea.  Why don't YOU support VHF contesting
> efforts by starting one, publicizing it, collecting scores, checking the
> logs, and publishing the results?  I'm sure your contest club could do it.
> Mine does the WA QSO Party, for example, and sponsors plaques in others.
> You know what?  I, personally, will see to it that your contest is
> publicized in both QST's Contest Corral, distributed to 165,000 members
> every month, and the ARRL Contester's Rate Sheet, distributed to 11337
> subscribers every two weeks as part of their ARRL membership.  And then I
> will publicize the fact that the results are available on your personal Web
> site.  Hats off to the various clubs and organizations that do sponsor their
> own contests - I will do everything I can to get the word out and encourage
> people to participate.  If you have a better idea for a contest, put it on
> and we'll let you know if it works.

I'll offer a real practical example of this.  

About eight years ago, a group of people designed a new contest for the other
end of the spectrum (160 meters).  This contest became known as the Stew 
Perry Topband Distance Challenge.  After its first running, and all of
the creative people were "done", the Boring Amateur Radio Club picked up
the pieces and produced the results.  This contest has continued to grow
with nearly 400 logs submitted in the last event.  

This compares pretty well to the 600 logs submitted in the ARRL 160 contest,
which has been going along for some 30 years.

The ARRL and the BARC (not Boston, but Boring), have had several serious
conversations about the ARRL adopting the Stew Perry contest and replacing
their current contest with the event.  The BARC have so far declined the
offer - having too much fun running the contest themselves.  

Actually, that would be the second "contest" that the BARC would have 
"given" to the ARRL.  The Kid's Day contest was the first.

It can be done!  But it does take a really good idea to gain enough 
momentum to make it.  It isn't clear that there are really enough
"variations on a theme" to make something really exciting that hasn't 
already been tried for VHF/UHF contesting.  The microwave contest was
killed by the votes of logs.  

The June VHF contest in its current format is pretty much the cats meow 
- at least in this part of the country.  The CQ VHF contest does not 
measure up at all - with only 8 QSOs put into my log after trying two 
different times to scare up people.  

It is certainly a lot easier to throw rocks than it is to build something.

73 Tree N6TR
tree at kkn.net