[VHFcontesting] Comments on proposed VHF+ rules changes

[John Maxwell]

Everybody is entitled to an opinion.  That's mine.

John Maxwell
N0WBW

-----Original Message-----
From: Kenneth E. Harker [mailto:kharker at cs.utexas.edu] 
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 6:53 AM
To: John Maxwell
Cc: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Comments on proposed VHF+ rules changes


On Sun, Mar 07, 2004 at 09:15:40PM -0700, John Maxwell wrote:
> I certainly don't consider that well publicized.  I read it, but how 
> many
> others did.  That's how I heard about it.  10 days notice isn't much
notice 
> to stir up responses.  Seeing how we get about 500QSOs on average from
a 
> VHF contest in our area, you see the issue.  Not many folks to talk to
here.

So, here is how well the request for input was distributed:

* Sent to the VHF Contesting email reflector (100s of subscribers)
* Sent to the CQ-Contest email reflector (1,000s of subscribers)
* Published in the ARRL Rate Sheet (> 10,000 subscribers)
* Published Feb. 26 on the ARRLWeb as a featured article on the front
page.
* Republished to many, many club email reflectors, newsletters, etc. 

How difficult is it to file a reply? Anyone who cannot figure out how to
send email to vhf-contest-proposal at arrl.org is almost certainly not
entering the VHF contests anyway.  Of the 500 QSOs you make in the
contest, of the stations you work who actually enter the contests, I
doubt very many of them have not heard of the proposed changes.  

I could understand being a little annoyed at the short comment period,
but saying that the issue was poorly publicized or is difficult to
respond 
to is disingenuous.


> John Maxwell
> N0WBW
> 
> 
> At 08:54 PM 3/7/2004 -0600, Kenneth E. Harker wrote:
> >On Sun, Mar 07, 2004 at 10:13:41AM -0700, John Maxwell wrote:
> >> Dear Committee et al,
> >>
> >> Well,  it seems that your rule change will badly affect our ability

> >> to have any kind of score for the VHF contest as well as our desire

> >> to run any VHF or microwave contest.  Not to mention that I feel 
> >> that your method of comment and timing of the required responses 
> >> seems to be very short and difficult. (Not very well publicized.)
> >
> >Not very well publicized?  The (long, detailed) request for input was

> >included in the ARRL Rate Sheet weekly email newsletter last week. 
> >Over 10,000 hams received it - far more hams than ever make QSOs in 
> >the ARRL VHF contests.
> >
> >--
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
> >Kenneth E. Harker      "Vox Clamantis in Deserto"      
> >kharker at cs.utexas.edu
> >University of Texas at Austin                   Amateur Radio
Callsign: 
> >WM5R
> >Department of the Computer Sciences          Central Texas DX &
Contest 
> >Club
> >Taylor Hall TAY 2.124                         Maintainer of Linux on 
> >Laptops
> >Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA            
> >http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >-------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> VHFcontesting mailing list
> VHFcontesting at contesting.com 
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Kenneth E. Harker      "Vox Clamantis in Deserto"
kharker at cs.utexas.edu
University of Texas at Austin                   Amateur Radio Callsign:
WM5R
Department of the Computer Sciences          Central Texas DX & Contest
Club
Taylor Hall TAY 2.124                         Maintainer of Linux on
Laptops
Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----