[VHFcontesting] Official Announcement for 2007 VHF & Up Spring Sprints

Tue Mar 6 09:31:26 EST 2007

PRESS RELEASE - March 6, 2007

To the Amateur Radio VHF, UHF and Microwave Contest
Community,

John Kalenowsky, K9JK, and Steve Gilmore, W4SHG, with
support from Ham Radio Outlet of Virginia are honored to
announce the "passing of the torch" for sponsorship of the
Spring VHF & Up Sprint series from the East Tennessee DX
Association to us effective with the 2007 events. This year
marks the 25th consecutive "running" of the Spring series of
these Sprints since the ARRL announced and conducted the
first series in 1983.

"We are pleased that John and Steve have stepped forward to
assume the sponsorship duties for the Spring Sprints so they
will continue. We wish them success in this venture." said
Lynn Lamb, W4NL, current president of the East Tennessee DX
Association. Lynn continued, "The ETDXA's efforts to finish
compiling the results for the 2006 Spring Sprints are almost
complete and will be posted on our web site
(http://www.etdxa.org) shortly. We will also be preparing
and sending the certificates out to the top scorers."

"Steve and I would like to thank the ETDXA for their
sponsorship and support of the Spring Sprints since 2000,
initiated by Bert Rollen, K4AR, and assumed later by Jeff
Baker, KG4ENR/WU4O," said John. "We also acknowledge the
'unique' way that the Sprints were sponsored in 1999, where
5 different clubs/organizations stepped forward to be the
'worker bees' for the 5 events. This was in response to the
ARRL's cessation of their sponsorship effective following
1998, having established a solid foundation from 16
consecutive years of support and development of the Spring
Sprints, which is also worthy of recognition and
appreciation."

John and Steve will be working to keep many of the ideas and
intent of the Sprints consistent as they have evolved over
their history. One goal will be to keep the 144, 222 and 432
MHz events on the traditional "Activity Nights" for those
bands; Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. That
will ALSO include being aware of when the NCAA Basketball
Championship game falls and efforts to avoid conflict there.
(For 2008, this might lead to the 144 MHz event being on
the LAST Monday in March, which IS still "Spring" and a two
week gap between the 144 MHz and 222 MHz events.) Another
piece of the evolution that has worked nicely has been the
initiation of "MAD", the Microwave Activity Days on the
first Saturday of each month (in the morning), and that will
be another goal, to keep the day for the Microwave Sprint
aligned with that first Saturday in May. The 50 MHz event
has worked well being on the 2nd Saturday in May, scheduled
in "Universal Time" rather than local time so all
participants operate the same four hours as well as falling
the weekend before that big event that happens in Dayton,
Ohio, each May. That will be another consistency target.
Another part of the schedule management effort will be to
maintain awareness of the two VHF/UHF conferences that occur
in April, the Eastern VHF/UHF Conference and the SVHFS
Conference, and try to keep the individual event dates clear
of those weekends.

Considering all of the above criteria for this year, the
dates for the 2007 Spring VHF & Up Sprints are:
1. 144 MHz: 7-11 PM local time, Monday, Apr 9
2. 222 MHz: 7-11 PM local time, Tuesday, Apr 17
3. 432 MHz: 7-11 PM local time, Wednesday, Apr 25
4. Microwave--902 MHz and higher: 6 AM-1 PM local time,
Saturday, May 5
5. 50 MHz: 2300Z May 12 - 0300Z May 13 ("local" Saturday
evening in the Americas)

A few enhancements will be implemented for 2007...four of
them notable:

1. URGING (though NOT _requiring_) exchange and logging of
SIX-character Grid Square designators during the events.

2. URGING electronic/e-mailed Log Submission using the
Cabrillo format, though paper logs WILL continue to be
accepted.

3. Instituting a new ROOKIE classification.

4. SHORTENING deadlines for log submissions.

Basically, though, as long as you know the dates for 2007,
and you've participated in a VHF & Up Sprint before, you
already KNOW how to do it.

Steve is working on a web site that will contain the
specific rules and further details, particularly about the
above enhancements, announcements, maybe even a FAQ. While
presently a "work in progress", the target is for this to
be "final" by mid-March so it may be somewhat "dynamic"
until then (but the "basics" of dates, scoring, log
submission deadlines, etc. ARE set). Look for the web site
at: http://www.sysadnet.com/vhfsprintrules.htm

If there is any interest in sponsoring plaques or other
prizes for participants, those are also welcome. A few such
offers have been received and we'd like to express our
thanks and appreciation to these "special" supporters. Look
for more info on the web site regarding this as well (what
has already been sponsored and by whom, unless they prefer
to remain anonymous). Remember that 2007 IS the 25th running
of the Spring Sprints so that makes this one a little bit
"more special."

Thank you for your interest and support for continuing the
VHF & Up Spring Sprints.

73, John & Steve

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For further information, please e-mail:
springsprintquestions at sysadnet.com -OR-
springvhfuhfsprints at gmail.com

"Formatted Text" versions of this announcement are available
upon request to: springvhfuhfsprints at gmail.com