[VHFcontesting] Vhf com. members

[K3uhf at aol.com]

I have qsl cards from 3 of those members from the june/ 2003  e-skip opening. 
 That would indicate that they are there.  We should not sell anyone short 
for not reporting.  Some of these guys may not report because they are letting 
the new people play.  However one my argue that it should be thier duty, but 
perhaps that is a slippery slope and its all our duty.  Therefore the change 
should be a way to encourage logs.  The arrl as a whole needs to think outside of 
the box.  

Perhaps a free years membership as a door prize for those who enter is a 
small token. Or points towards a lifetime membership for any contest entered.  
After all if they are using logs to justify spectrum,  then those who invest in 
the equipment to utilize the spectrum are paying out the nose to support the 
arrl's justification of spectrum allocation. (say that 10 times fast).  

If someone is a life member let them gift the points or 1 year membership to 
another party who may not be a current member.  Its like free advertising from 
the fruits of spectrum use.

Sponsership of all the contests by the radio makers and hro/aes ect... would 
be good. This of course would have to be handled by someone at the arrl who is 
impartial and appointed by the system.  Again I say that it would not be 
based on scores, but on random drawing by those who enter a log.  


Pointing fingers won't help, it seems they are nearly 100% in agreement on 
some of the changes.  Some of which I like, except I think jan should be the 
smaller contest limited to 1.2 because of snow and lack of hill tops.  They are 
cutting off band use big time there.  But maybe the idea is to make it easier 
to get new people in on june and I would trade the microwaves for 25 percent 
more people.

73s
listen for the aurora today, even though its not contest time.
k3uhf