[VHFcontesting] Rovers

Mon Dec 8 12:45:19 EST 2008

Years ago N7AMA, and myself (WA7JTM) drove all around Arizona giving out
all of the rare grids to everyone and anyone we could on as many bands
as we could muster. It wasn't called Roving then and we didn't do it for
scores. Driving around Arizona was time consuming and costly, but just
hearing someone say "Thanks for the new Square" once in a while was all
we needed for an excuse to go out and do it again the next weekend.
Talking to different stations all around the state and the country,
making new friends, and seeing new areas of the state was just plain
fun. I still enjoy it today.

To me the spirit of roving is simply that...give out as many contacts
and grids to as many people as you can, and have some fun doing it. If
you are not doing that as a rover, then you are doing it wrong. The idea
of only talking to the same stations from each new square, or talking to
the same rovers over and over again from different squares, misses the
whole point of contesting, and Amateur radio. If rovers are not giving
out rare grids to the general public, which I believe was the original
intent of the ARRL Founding Fathers, then the rules have surely failed
us.

I know contesting is about winning, but we should encourage rovers to
talk to everyone, not to go to West Texas and only talk to each other.
Grid Circling may win contests, but at what cost?

Pete "lost in Arizona again" Scola
WA7JTM

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Today's Topics:

   1. uWave Items For Sale (N8UM)
   2. Preserving the original spirit (frank bechdoldt)
   3. (no subject) (Christopher S Peightal)
   4. Rovers (Joe Jarrett)
   5. Re: Rovers (Ev Tupis)
   6. Re: (no subject) (John D'Ausilio)
   7. Re: Rovers (Tom Carney)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2008 17:20:03 -0500
From: "N8UM" <n8um at comcast.net>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] uWave Items For Sale
To: "VHF REFLECTOR" <vhf at w6yx.stanford.edu>,
	<VHFcontesting at contesting.com>
Cc: microwave at lists.valinet.com, newsvhf at mailman.qth.net
Message-ID: <0D45F083E8764DD5B580EA21C7C5D122 at UPSTAIRS>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

For Sale, all items include FedEx Home Delivery shipping in price.

2304-144 15 watt (yes 15W not 1.5w) Downeast Microwave Transverter built
by Steve/DEMI, excellent condx, <2DBNF, 144MHz IF, $700 shipped.
Also 

2304 x 2 stack of Directive Systems 3 ft loopers with phasing harness,
power divider, aluminum x-boom and boom to mast plate.  Best contact,
K5LLL 720 miles (Austin, TX area) from EM85 (Tennessee), $225

DEMI AOS-144 RF sensed solid state T/R switch with built in 25W
attenuator , 144 MHz, $40

Bird 43 wattmeter components without case.  Meter movement, directional
Coupler/Line Section (supplied with mounting bracket), 2 QC connectors
(mix n match n, uhf or DIN female), Bird connector cable and Max Gain
System Bird to BNC adapter, $200  I am original owner,  purchased
directly from Bird (when that was still possible).  Items are in like
new condition.

Contact John B.  N8UM  Oak Ridge, Tennessee

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2008 17:46:19 -0800
From: frank bechdoldt <k3uhf at hotmail.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Preserving the original spirit
To: <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <BAY111-W15A14CA81BA1F44C4597F3ECFD0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I had a couple of side chats about grid circling.
>From here on out I think rover to rover contatcts should not count for
anything, mults or qsos.
IE if they set the limit at 20, a team of 4 rovers will get 60 extra
multipliers and qsos for working line of sight contacts.  A team of 5
could activate 2 seperate grid corners for 80 extra mults and qsos.  
Esentually this change would still give the advantage to the group who
could form the largest team.
I don't think we want the awards to go to the largest team.

If it was set as zero, the only team issue would be the club who gets
the most traditional rovers out there to boost everyone's scores.

I remind you that the original rovers, before there were really rovers
went out to activate rare grids for all of you home stations.
The pioneers of roving did not go out to work each other, unlike some
microwave activities where thats the only way.

The VUAC and ARLL CAC needs to preserve the spirit of those pioneers and
ensuure there is a difference between team roving (grid circling) and
traditional rovers.

Ask yourself this:  if line of sight qso grid circling had been the
original intention of the first rovers, would it be a class in this
contest?

This is what I mean about spirit of a contest.

Merry Christmas.
_________________________________________________________________
Send e-mail faster without improving your typing skills.
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ed_122008

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2008 22:29:15 -0600
From: "Christopher S Peightal" <peightalhead at msn.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] (no subject)
To: <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <BAY102-DS1951A838CB1A72AE129DEC7FD0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

I am looking for feedback on what type of computer interface seems to be
the best for getting on the digital modes.  I was looking at the
rigblaster pro by west mountain.  73, chris, ka3zls.

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:11:50 -0600
From: Joe Jarrett <joe at jarrett.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Rovers
To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
Message-ID: <493CAC96.8020904 at jarrett.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Just a short comment regarding the current brew-haha:

I have mostly been a Rover in the VHF/Microwave contests, or more
exactly the right seat operator.  The FUN in the contest for me is two
fold.  Number 1 is  working other stations on as many bands as possible
regardless of where they are.  If they are several hundred miles away,
thats iceing on the cake.  Number 2 is traveling with other rovers.  The
pictures taken of someone holding a soldering iron as we
repair-tune-tweak etc. each others radios, coax, antennas on the
bathroom counter of a cheap motel somewhere are a treasure.  Holding the
umbrella over a co-rover pulled into a parking lot while he tries to
figure out why his noise level suddenly went to pot on 3456 is a treat.

Taking the lead trying to find a place up high we can all safely pull
into to try to work back to the closest major metropolitan area is a
real blast.  It is fun traveling with other rovers.

And yes we work each other as we travel from Grid to grid. to grid also.
Try this rule tweak on for size:  If you work more rover contacts than
fixed stations, regardless of the number of bands you use, you must
enter as a unlimited class Rover.  Otherwise, you may enter as a 4
station limited class rover, or a "plain" multi band Rover.  The only
other solution I see is to go to some sort of distance based scoring.  
The rovers I work with all use GPS to indicate and log their exact
location so the only problem we would have would be just deciphering
those 2 new digits through the noise.

Otherwise, lets just keep the rules simple.  The more complex you make
them, the more loop holes there will be.

Joe Jarrett K5FOG

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 02:48:22 -0800 (PST)
From: Ev Tupis <w2ev at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Rovers
To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
Message-ID: <277708.83451.qm at web52004.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

--- On Mon, 12/8/08, Joe Jarrett <joe at jarrett.com> wrote:

> Try this rule tweak on for size:  If you work more rover contacts than

> fixed stations, regardless of the number of bands you use, you must 
> enter as a unlimited class Rover.

> Otherwise, lets just keep the rules simple.  The more complex you make

> them, the more loop holes there will be.

-----------------------------------------------------------

How about an extremely simple rule that has existing precedent in other
ARRL events (see below)?  "Rover-to-Rover QSO's do not count for contest
credit."  That would certainly encourage rovers to create stations that
are equipped to make QSO's over greater distances and with other
stations.  Additionaly, if the "self-absorbed rally" is really that much
fun, it can still occur as a CWAC, but not celebrated as a sanctioned
part of the core event.

Ev, W2EV

Field Day: 4.6. (Class D) Home stations: Stations operating from
permanent or licensed station locations using commercial power. Class D
stations may only count contacts made with Class A, B, C, E and F Field
Day stations.

ARRL 10 Meter Contest: Non-W/VE stations count primarily as QSO credit
(thought IARU Region is a minor multiplier).

ARRL 160 Meter Contest: "DX-to-DX QSOs do not count for contest credit.
"

etc, etc, etc.

Then, on VHF, there's the January VHF Sweepstakes, June VHF QSO Party
and September VHF QSO Party: "Foreign stations work W/VE amateurs only."

------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 07:58:27 -0500
From: "John D'Ausilio" <jdausilio at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] (no subject)
To: "Christopher S Peightal" <peightalhead at msn.com>
Cc: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
Message-ID:
	<aa9c82bf0812080458s78f8e273nabaf3dfc041b3d6f at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Depends on whether you want to spend money or not ;)

A couple of 600 ohm isolation transformers from Radio Shaft and some
soldering of cables will get you on the air for a small percentage of
the cost of a commercial interface.

de w1rt/john

On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 11:29 PM, Christopher S Peightal
<peightalhead at msn.com> wrote:
> I am looking for feedback on what type of computer interface seems to
be the best for getting on the digital modes.  I was looking at the
rigblaster pro by west mountain.  73, chris, ka3zls.
> _______________________________________________
> VHFcontesting mailing list
> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>

------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:14:29 -0800
From: Tom Carney <tomc at carneysugai.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Rovers
To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
Message-ID: <493D47E4.3090100 at carneysugai.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Ev Tupis wrote:
> --- On Mon, 12/8/08, Joe Jarrett <joe at jarrett.com> wrote:
> 
>> Try this rule tweak on for size:  If you work more rover contacts 
>> than fixed stations, regardless of the number of bands you use, you 
>> must enter as a unlimited class Rover.
> 
>> Otherwise, lets just keep the rules simple.  The more complex you 
>> make them, the more loop holes there will be.
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> 
> How about an extremely simple rule that has existing precedent in
other ARRL events (see below)?

   "Rover-to-Rover QSO's do not count for contest credit."  That would
certainly encourage rovers to create stations that are equipped to make
QSO's over greater distances and with other stations.

This rule change would certainly encourage this rover to just stay home.

73,

Tom K6EU aka K6EU/r

------------------------------

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