[VHFcontesting] Sorry to See Bashing of Grid Circle Competitors

[pipkin29292 at mypacks.net]

OH my, the post below is a sad attack of a very dedicated group of hams.
I am a successful rover and spend my time handing out grids to everyone I can, that's the part I enjoy. If a group of grid circle operators moved in and beat me I would still enjoy the contest. 

Let me see if I can list how many buttons the exchange below pushes.
° Grid Circling is causing less activity and destroying the hobby - ( it has no effect, it is just adding another type of activity, hence more activity)
° Grid Circling community is a bunch of dirty commies like the old Soviets and North Koreans
° Grid Circling is unchristian
° Grid Circling is not friendly
° Publishing logs will show grid circling. ( no need, we all know already it's done and they are justifiably pround of it )
° Grid circles are not in harmony with the ecosystem

What a shocking list. I want to take my fellow hams with this attitude to task for this.

Ham radio is a big hobby with something for every one. Each group has an interest that pleases them and we should respect each one. I greatly respect and admire what the grid circle stations have done. I know from putting a station together to rove on all bands from 50 mhz to 2304 mhz ( and soon 3456 mhz ) that it takes great skill, expertise, and hard work to field these stations and drive all those miles. ( don't forget the planning and expense ) They bring a significant fruit to the hobby as well as enjoy their own brand of social interation. I studied their web pages and used much of their experience in assembling my station. They freely elmer the rest of us by publishing information on how their stations are built and operated.

What about all those EME guys that use their home stations to work other EME contacts on exotic digital modes that only a computer can decode while my lap top in the rover is tied up on logging. I have no chance of working those guys. I don't see anyone bashing those guys. We all know how much they should be applauded for their contribution to the hobby and how much it takes to build an EME station.

What about the other digital guys working testerial. My rover has no chance of working them while underway roving. Maybe while stationay I could add a second lap top and join them, but look how many contacts I would lose because the digital modes are so sparse during a contest. Lets make them quit that and come over and work me.

How about the CW guys that don't care that many of the new codeless hams can't work them in the contest. Lets get some logs, find out who they are, and bash them too.

What about all those guys that never turn their beams south because in South Florida where I am there are less stations than in the nothern population centers. They should have to give me a chance.

What about those guys that enjoy bench work, experimenting and construction projects much more than operating. Lets bash them for not getting on in contest and working me.

This hobby has a strong tradition of tolerance. Day in and day out the HF guys get along with the competing interest of those that want to rag chew, those that want to chase DX, those that want to check into nets, and those that want to contest. ( in the "old" days those that wanted to phone patch, fax, slow scan TV etc. etc. ) All these guys seem to find a way to squeeze into the limited spectrum and generally remain civil to each other. ( admittidly not always but mostly they do ) I find it really sad that on VHF there are those that don't maintain this same attitude.

It would be a great loss to the hobby if we started selecting which group we want to shut down. Each is making a contribution and enjoying their nitch. 

Hope everyone can lighten up and appreciate the efforts others make and enjoy.

73's AH8M/R

>
>What the grid circling is acomplishing is less activity. 
>There are as many rovers as was before, but the increased activity has been in the circlers as those who tried to work everyone and still compete because the unique activity of the circlers isn?t being fixed.
>There are rovers out there dropping  out because of the failure of the rule change.  If they are replaced with circlers, there is no increase in activity.  The VUAC and ARRL would have to look at the number of non repetive contacts to see if the growth of grid circling has lead to a growth of overall actity.
>In christian philosphy one would see these circlers as trees that bear no fruit.  Ham radio has a spirit and so do these contests.  The only ham radio service designed to only talk to exclusively themselves is the old Soviet Block radio service and the grid circlers.  Everywhere else (except North Korea) uses ham radio as a potential bridge of friendship and comunication. Your staion is a the tree and the spirit of our forefathers and what the spirit should be today is to share that fruit with as many people as possible.
>We may end up with 25 teams of circlers working their own team members and no one at home stations.  What good would this be for the contesters as a whole. If this is what the ARRL wanted they should remove the language that says work as many people as ?ossible.  It should say work as many QSOS as possible if this is the spirit of the contest. Those who think there is no spirit in the contests are wrong.  
>Publishing the logs I own as an ARRL member will show the home stations what the majority of rovers are concerned about. We are a complete ecosytem. If you want it in harmony there will be a place for traditional rovers and grid circlers alike that is separated as well as multiops and single stations.