[VHFcontesting] Pack Rovers meet ARRL contest objectives

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Mon, Aug 15, 2005 at 10:46:46PM -0400, Bill Katt wrote:

> > or operate on frequencies (such as 908 MHz) that nobody else uses, which
> > further impedes their capability to make QSOs with other stations.
> 
> So, you're saying that rovers, or any other operator, should restrict
> themselves to only using popular frequencies?  Doesn't this go against
> the whole 'use it or lose it' philosophy, let alone the concept of
> expanding activity, inventing new devices to speak on underused bands,
> etc?  I thought amateur radio was about developing new horizons, not
> shrinking from them...

Of all the many stations on the 33cm weak signal band today, I would bet 
that 99.9% of them operate on 902.1 MHz +/- or in a few parts of the 
country 903.1 MHz +/-.  When a captive rover is given gear for the 33cm
band that cannot transmit on 902.1 or 903.1, that can only work on a portion
of the 33cm band that other weak signal stations literally cannot use 
(because most use a 144 MHz IF radio that only has a 4 MHz wide transmit 
range) it becomes obvious that those rovers are not expected to be making 
QSOs with any other station than the mother ship.  In fact, they literally 
cannot do so.

-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/