[VHFcontesting] VHF+ Rate Sheet Subscribers

Tue Jul 20 21:52:52 EDT 2004

Hey guys, the sprints are still around.  The East Tennessee DX Association
sponsors the spring sprints and the Southeastern VHF Society sponsors the
fall sprints.  Info on both can be found at www.etdxa.org and www.svhfs.org.
I can't speak to the spring sprints but the fall sprints are doing well.
Participation has been increasing the last couple of years with a couple of
hundred logs submitted in 2003.  My suggestion for increasing VHF+ activity
is simple.  Quit arguing about the ARRL, turn off the computer and turn on a
radio.  I will be looking for everyones fall sprint logs.

73
Jim W4KXY

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth E. Harker" <kenharker at kenharker.com>
To: "R Johnson" <k1vu at tmlp.com>
Cc: "Ward Silver" <hwardsil at centurytel.net>; <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] VHF+ Rate Sheet Subscribers

> On Tue, Jul 20, 2004 at 01:09:49PM -0400, R Johnson wrote:
> >
> > >The League is trying to support VHF+ contesting (and has put a really
> > >disproportionate amount of resources into it from a membership
standpoint),
> > >so I'd hope you reconsider at some point.  There is a general
understanding,
> > >I think, that the VHF+ community didn't get some of the resources it
> > >deserved, even though the numbers of members so engaged is quite small.
> >
> > I can't help remembering the old line:
> > "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you" !!!
> > I don't know "How much more help we can stand" !!!
> > We lost the VUAC
> > We lost the Sprints
> > We lost the Line Scores in QST
> > We may loose the AUG VHF contest (I'm waiting to see the outcome of the
meeting)
>
> The outcome of the meeting was posted on this very reflector, yesterday,
> by K1KI: http://lists.contesting.com/_vhfcontesting/2004-07/msg00080.html
> Perhaps you missed it?
>
> The ARRL Spring Sprints were cancelled due to extremely low participation.
> I operated some of those last few years, and I can tell you that
scheduling
> a four hour contest for a week night was a disaster.  Aside from the 50
MHz
> Sprint (which was held on a weekend) there's no fun in listening to static
> for four hours on a weeknight to work three QSOs.  I've listened to people
> complain for four years about the death of the sprints, but the only
person
> I've seen suggest a reasonable replacement that might be popular on the
air
> was K5TR, and his suggestion (a four hour weekend all-band VHF+ sprint)
was
> just howled and hooted at by the members of this reflector.
>
> Line scores were lost by all contests, VHF and HF alike.
>
> At the same time, even though "The World Above 50 MHz" column in QST is at
> least 50% longer than any other special interest column in QST, the ARRL
> added another bimonthly column, "Microwavelengths," devoted just to (the,
> what, 350 or so) microwavers.  The League publishes and imports an
> enormous variety of books and publications on VHF weak signal operation,
> DXing, construction, etc., and even publishes VHF conference proceedings.
> There is a lot that the ARRL does for VHF/UHF weak signal operators that
> it never does for HF contesters, for boat anchor afficianados, or even
> for the ARES groups.
>
> And had you read the subcommittee results, you would know that the ARRL
> is now not planning to eliminate the August UHF Contest, even though it
has
> low participation that is getting lower every year and nobody has made a
> reasonable suggestion for a replacement format that would actually be
> popular.
>
> > While not just a VHF+ item, on Feb 12, 2004 Wayne Mills arbitrarily
eliminated:
> > The Rag Chewer's Club, the Old Timer's Club and the Friendship Awards.
> > (2 of the 3 Awards a "NEW" ARRL member could easily earn)
>
> Both were extremely unpopular (in the sense that almost nobody was
applying
> for them any more.)  There's no point in retaining awards nobody wants to
> earn.
>
> > If the MSC keeps dropping contest and awards for lack of participation,
there
> > won't be much left of the League.
> >
> > I feel that the Mills and MSC should be trying to PROMOTE instead of
CANCELLING !!!
>
> You should read the subcommittee report.
>
> > 73
> > Bob, K1VU
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >73, Ward N0AX
> > >
> > >----- Original Message ----- 
> > >From: "R Johnson" <k1vu at tmlp.com>
> > >To: "Ward Silver" <hwardsil at centurytel.net>;
<vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
> > >Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 4:28 PM
> > >Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] VHF+ Rate Sheet Subscribers
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hi Ward:
> > > > The reason there aren't VHF+ subscribers to the "Rate Sheet" is
because
> > >you
> > > > must be an ARRL member to get it !!!
> > > >
> > > > A lot of VHF+ operators have quit the League because of lack of
support.
> > > >
> > > > I used to get it, but I never did find much of interest in the VHF+
area,
> > >SRI !!!
> > > >
> > > > 73
> > > > Bob, K1VU
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > At 19:12 7/19/2004 , Ward Silver wrote:
> > > > >Mentioning the Rate Sheet reminded me that VHF+ contesters don't
seem to
> > >be
> > > > >subscribed to Rate Sheet in the same proportions as HF contesters.
Of
> > > > >course, there aren't as many VHF+ contests, etc., but there is
certainly
> > > > >material of VHF+ interest there..  I think part of it is that they
might
> > >not
> > > > >know about it and how to subscribe to it.  For those of you in VHF+
> > >Contest
> > > > >Clubs, please publicize the Rate Sheet
> > > > >(http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/) and encourage them to
> > >subscribe.
> > > > >I would LOVE to have more material of interest to VHF+ers and if I
get
> > >more
> > > > >of them as subscribers, it will happen.  It's an excellent way for
VHF+
> > > > >contesters to reach a big audience of HF contesters - hint, hint.
> > > > >
> > > > >73, Ward N0AX
> > > > >Editor, "Contester's Rate Sheet"
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >_______________________________________________
> > > > >VHFcontesting mailing list
> > > > >VHFcontesting at contesting.com
> > > > >http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > VHFcontesting at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>
> -- 
> Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
> kenharker at kenharker.com
> http://www.kenharker.com/
>
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