[VHFcontesting] (Rover) What does N6NB et al say?

[Ev Tupis]

--- On Sun, 11/23/08, James Duffey <JamesDuffey at comcast.net> wrote:
> Bruce - Some insight as to what N6NB thinks of the rover
> rules can be found in the 2008 UHF Soapbox:
> 
> http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/index.html?con_id=157&call=N6NB
> 
> I do not that he and those who rove with him are quite the
> monsters some would like to paint him as. - Duffey
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This is the first posting that I've seen that even infers name calling, though it's possible that I've missed something.  I'm impressed with the thread's focus on the root-cause issue, actually.

My final analysis of N6NB's data is a bit different than he presented.

I continue to focus on the social aspect of Amateur radio.  The 10-GHz+ contest is widely active in his region *because* is it a social event in which participants are encouraged to contact as many DIFFERENT stations as possible.

Why the poor UHF activity in So. Cal?  Most likely because it lacks an aspect of social behavior.  There is much missing from his recap.  For instance...did he advertise ahead of his activity to let everyone know that he was coming through and to power-up?  That's what clubs do (and more) ahead of contests.  Did he publicly celebrate the event afterward in the community?  That's what clubs do afterward.

His observation about the importance of clubs is spot-on.  Amateur radio is a social hobby. Without others, we have no one to talk to.  Clubs with an on-air social purpose are the life-blood to VHF+ activity. 

Rover packs whose primary score is resultant from grid-circling are "niche-clubs with an anti-social purpose".  They neither need others nor does their presence generate additional activity in others...nor do they meet the objectives of an ARRL contest.

Ev, W2EV