[VHFcontesting] Is Grid Squaring or Microwave QSO Points the Issue?

[James Duffey]

In all this ado about KB6TOA winning the limited rover class no one  
has recognized that the rules that give microwave QSOs 4 points played  
as much a role as grid squaring did in his winning the limited rover  
class as did.

If the microwave QSOs had counted a point a piece, like second place  
W3DHJ's 6M and 2M QSOs, he would have placed 3rd with 24,332 points,  
behind  K4GUN and I suspect that we would not see the complaints about  
grid squaring that we have seen on the list.

Others have complained outside the context of grid squaring that the  
extra microwave points essentially turn the VHF contests into  
microwave contests and one needs as many bands, preferably microwave,  
to compete successfully in the VHF contests. Thus the issue extends  
beyond the rover class. One can argue that the extra point incentive  
to get on additional bands is not really needed as one can get on 432  
MHz and 1296 MHz as easy as one can get on 6M and 2M, and it is not  
too much harder to get on the microwave bands up to 3 cm with  
commercially available assembled equipment. - Duffey


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KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM