[VHFcontesting] Increasing Participation - At Last

[Hoffman, Mark]

Thanks, Ward. I think you've it all.

Here's a quick rundown of what "Local" Awards the Rochester VHF Group
sponsors. 

1) Single-Op, High Power (3 top scores in the area - Plaques)
2) Single-Op, Low Power (3 top scores in the area - plaques)
3) Single-Op, Portable (top scorer- plaques)
4) Unlimited Multiop (usually top 2 - plaques)
5) Rover (top 3 to 5, depending on participation - plaques)
(Note: all these require RVHFG Membership)
** These classes mirror the ARRL categories, but we expand it a little
further. **
6) FM-Only (one award, does NOT need to be a club member - plaques)
7) 'Rochester Cup'. This pits local clubs against one another for top-dog
status. 
After 3 victories in a row, the trophy is retired, and a new one started.
8) Worked most RVHFG Members (open to all, plaque)
9) Most Improved Score (RVHFG Member, plaque)

These are specifically targeted at the January Contest, as up until recently
there was no club competition in the other events. They can be expanded if
there's enough participation to warrant it. YES - this is an expensive
option. The plaques are VERY nice, professionally made. We have a yearly
Award banquet where these are given out. 

IMHO, the ONLY salvation for VHF+ contesting is making a more concerted
effort at the LOCAL level to spur your friends and colleagues into not only
firing up the gear, but following up with a log submission. In our case, it
may only require a 1-point log to win a freaking PLAQUE! You may not win the
world, but you still get some nice hardware. And frankly, these awards look
BETTER than the stuff from the ARRL (not to knock it, but it is!)

Do NOT flood the reflector with "well, there's no club near me that.." -
MAKE the clubs work to your advantage - or make your own. The RVHFG hasn't
been around for 55 years because nobody wants to do anything. The whining
has to stop. If you're serious about making our space above 50MHz more
active and interesting - it comes at a cost. I know other VHF+ clubs
(Packrats, NEWS, NLRS, NTMS, Roadrunners, SBMS - and others - not left off
due to malice!) do much in their "sphere of influence" to encourage
activity. Even if you're nowhere NEAR these groups, you can still get in
touch with them. You MIGHT be surprised that your local repeater club MIGHT
have some interest in weak-signal work. Or your local ARES/RACES might find
your VHF+ passion VERY useful. 

My $.02. 

-Mark, K2AXX
Heading to CSVHFS tomorrow! Doing a presentation Saturday. Drinking lots
inbetween!



-----Original Message-----
From: Ward Silver [mailto:hwardsil at centurytel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 12:34 PM
To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Increasing Participation - At Last


Finally we return to heart of the issue which was the original mission of
the committee - to increase participation at VHF+ in competitive events and
award programs.  We all know why contesting is desirable, it's a question of
how to get more people interested in it.

Discussions about VHF+ contesting veer rapidly away from the participation
aspect to arguing about fine-tuning the rules for the existing competitors.
This is only natural, since they're the ones that respond.  Those that
aren't yet participating obviously aren't tuned in to the discussion.  We
need to think more about how to get Joe 706 to drive up to a hilltop and
tune to 50.125 and 144.200 for a few hours.

The suggestions for challenges and plaques on a local and regional level are
good.  The ARRL operates at a national level, but individuals have a much
closer horizon.  New operators aren't likely to have much success unless
they are Elmered by more experienced players.  Remember when you got into
contesting and how much you thrashed around before getting some helpful
advice?  K2AXX and KA5CVH have some good ideas - let's build on them.

In your discussions with your own clubs and groups, see if you can keep the
focus on how to attract new operators.  It's really, really easy to fall
back into arguing about the fine points of the competition.  Call "time out"
and put those issues aside for the moment.  You all know your local and
regional operators better than anyone.  What would work to get them
interested?  Free beer is always popular :-)  Seriously - how about
club-to-club challenges, invitations to multi-ops and rovers,
demonstrations, open-houses, activity and practice nights and the like?
Drop in on local VHF nets and invite the participants to join some activity.

People will take an interest in any activity in which they see others like
themselves having a good time and learning something interesting.  They
won't take it up because of the national organization urging them to do so.
The ARRL can create a reasonable set of rules and adminster them, but you
guys are the ones that will have to show them how much fun it is.  Once they
figure out that it's fun, look out!

73, Ward N0AX


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