[VHFcontesting] The New Rover Rules

[James Duffey]

The results of the second contest under the new rover rules are now  
official. They seemed to have little impact on the January contest, in  
the June contest, there are those who feel rovers who participate in  
grid squaring won all three categories due to grid squaring. As I  
noted in an earlier e-mail, there were other factors in play as well,  
primarily the larger QSO point value for microwave contacts.


The VUAC noted that these new rules would be an experiment and would  
be revisited after several contests had been run. It seems like the  
new rules have been partially successful in reducing grid squaring and  
that they need tweaks. But is the present approach the best one? Here  
are some of my thoughts on improving the contest with respect to  
roving and grid squaring. Some of these suggestions could be used in  
conjunction with the current format. I like the idea of a limited  
rover class.


Pick as many as you like. In no particular order:


1. Change the rover scoring so that a score is calculated for each  
grid square activated. The total rover score for the contest is the  
sum of the score from each grid activated. Publish scores by grid  
square. Rovers compete with other stations for grid awards. They  
compete for separate rover awards at the section and/or region level.  
Granted this might cost additional postage and certificate printing  
costs, but it would put the rovers in competition with the fixed  
stations on a grid basis, which adds a new dimension to the  
competition. It would also reduce the effect of grid squaring by a  
significant amount.


2. Eliminate the rover multiplier for activating a grid. This would  
reduce the impact of grid squaring by a lot.


3. Institute distance scoring similar to the 10 GHz contest. Perhaps  
even include initials?


4. Require the rover to move a certain distance before another QSO is  
valid. This is similar to the 10 GHz contest rule. In the 10 GHz  
contest, this distance is 10 km, for a VHF/UHF contest something like  
50-75 km makes more sense. This would allow a rover roughly 4 to 6  
contacts per grid, which seems reasonable, at least in this area. Both  
this and 3) require the operators to exchange 6 digit grid square  
numbers, but that should be no problem for a rover with a GPS or map  
that is marked in advance.


5. Reduce or eliminate the higher QSO point value for the higher  
bands. Much of the impact of the rover's who participate in grid  
squaring comes from the higher points given to the higher band,  
particularly the microwave bands.


As a trial, I suggest that 3) and 4) be implemented for the UHF  
contest and the January contest. As a trial, perhaps these changes  
could be made in the 2009 UHF contest and in the 2010 January contest,  
These contests usually have flat propagation and the results are not  
likely be skewed by E-skip. I think that this format would add new  
interest in the UHF contest.


For the June contest, implement 1) and/or 2) but leave the scoring the  
same, as with sporadic E the distance scoring would have less  
significance. Make the QSO point count the same for all bands, or as  
this might cause consternation among microwave contestants, reduce the  
differential, so that QSOs on bands up to 1296 MHz count one point,  
those above 1296 would count 2 points. It is probably not possible to  
implement this before the 2010 June contest, but if Newington hustled  
they could do it for the 2009 contest.


There is no reason why the rules, scoring, and exchange should be the  
same for all of the VHF and UHF contests. In fact, some variety and  
differentiation in the contest may increase activity.


These are my thoughts. Instead of complaints, lets hear some viable  
suggestions for change. - Duffey


--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM