[VHFcontesting] Spring Sprints (Bringing newbies to VHF-UHF)

[John (JK) Kalenowsky, K9JK]

John Geiger <johngeig at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>Another idea maybe to run this FM simplex contest
>concurrent with the spring and fall sprints.  They
>might stumble across some sprint participants who are
>also looking for QSOs. You could even submit each of
>their logs for the sprint to the sponser also.  Who
>knows, they might win an extra award or so. ...

Thanks for the "opening" John...

BRING IT ON for the "Spring Sprints"!

My offer to receive "the torch" from the ETDXA has received only positive 
responses and I will be very ably assisted by Steve Gilmore, W4SHG. We made 
the deadlines for W3ZZ's World Above 50 MHz column (Thanks Gene!), as well 
as for N0AX's Contest Corral, BOTH for the April QST and already caught a 
mention in the 2/21/07 edition of the Contester's Rate Sheet (Thanks Ward!). 
We've also received some offers of prize and plaque sponsorship support so 
Steve and I are working on that as well (Thanks to all who have offered 
such...and MORE such offers a will be welcomed!)

Steve and I are working on some final details before a "Press Release" which 
will announce the web site and give some detail on the enhancements we are 
implementing for 2007, one of which will be a "Rookie" category...precisely 
to encourage participation from 'newbie' contesters (which we hope will 'set 
the hook' for at least a few of them). If a local club wanted to sponsor a 
"Contest Within A Contest" (or might "Contest Beside A Contest" be a better 
description?)...the MORE the merrier, just that we'd like to see 
SIX-Character Grid Square designators exchanged (though the "Multipliers" 
will continue to be based on FOUR-Character Grid Square designators) and 
logs submitted electronically (in Cabrillo format). The Spring Sprint web 
site will have a neat feature enabled by the application/weblet that 
Laurent/Larry Haas, F6FVY, has made available through Google Maps...to help 
folks identify their SIX-Character Grid Square designator. (Thanks Larry!)

"We" call it "Weak Signal" and usually associate that with 'narrow-band' 
emissions (SSB/CW) but I'll tell you that some of the WEAKEST signals I've 
been challenged to copy during VHF Contests have been from "SOBs" (for 
"Shack On Belt" amateurs...and that's NOT intended to be derogatory) using 
their couple of watt HTs with attached antennas inside their houses, coming 
back to my brick-boosted Rover signal on the FM Simplex Channels...they hear 
me, with easily 6dB, maybe 10-15dB, more signal going their way than they're 
sending back at me and I'm barely hearing them over the noise of a wide-open 
squelch.

Watch for more info regarding the 2007 Spring Sprints! Newbies (and OLDbies) 
welcomed!

73, JK