[VHFcontesting] 222mhz Spring Results

[Les Rayburn]

Allow me to apologize for the errors in my original posting on the topic of the 222mhz Spring Sprints. I'm glad to hear that it was announced in QST in advance of the event. 

My remarks were not meant as a personal attack or critism, and I hope that you'll accept my apology. My hats off to anyone who undertakes such a venture. 

In terms of suggestions on how to better publicize the event, I do have a few suggestions: 

  a.. Press releases to all amateur print publications, including QST, CQ, CQ-VHF, etc. 
  b.. Banner ads and links on amateur radio "portal" sites like Eham.net, QRZ.com, and the many VHF related sites such as propagation maps, etc. These can sometimes be obtained at no cost, or low cost. I'd be happy to create the banner ads at no charge. 
  c.. Reach out to the producers of the Amateur Radio Newswire, and other "podcast" type shows, and encourage them to do a feature story on the Sprints. Maybe a piece about how these are perfect to get your feet wet in VHF contesting. These broadcasts air on repeaters all over the country, and are downloaded by thousands of hams each week. 
  d.. Contest related e-mail lists, reflectors, etc. Start promoting the Sprints early in the new year. Multiple postings leading up to the event. 
  e.. Consider adding an FM Only category. I love the "rookie" category (and wish the ARRL would add it to their VHF contests) but by adding an FM Only category, you'd encourage more newcomers to try VHF contesting. And give a lot of QSO points to the rest of us who would switch over to FM to work them. Almost every ham owns a dual band FM rig, and many are also equipped for 222. 
I'm a huge fan of the Spring Sprints, and will be happy to do whatever I can to make them a success. Thank you again for the considerable time and effort required to put them on. 

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
EM63nf
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 35114






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From: "Spring Sprints" <springvhfuhfsprints at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 8:49 PM
To: "Les Rayburn" <les at highnoonfilm.com>
Cc: "VHF Contesting Reflector" <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: 222mhz Spring Results

> Hello Les (and VHFcontesting community),
> 
> I saw your (Les's) comments in the dxworld 220 Prop chat area about
> the lack of activity there in Alabama. We had a pretty good crowd up
> in the Chicago area and, from the logs I'm seeing, the "usual"
> suspects were on in the Northeast.
> 
> I apologize for last year's results being so late...totally MY bad. I
> am TRYING to make sure I do BETTER this year, actually with HOPES of
> being able to announce the results at the 2009 Central States VHF
> Society Conference (basically in MY "hometown" this year, in the
> Northwest Suburbs of Chicago) and THAT is the last full weekend in
> July (I happen to be the VP and "Techincal Program Coordinator" for
> that and would gladly welcome a paper from you, Les, or OTHER
> VHFcontesting reflector readers, on a VHF/Weak Signal related topic,
> see the call for papers at
> http://www.csvhfs.org/conference/callforpapers.html ...hint, hint).
> 
> Even withOUT a paper to present, how about a trip TO the Windy City to
> attend? (Even STRONGER HINT, HINT!)
> 
> AnOTHER factor was former co-host Steve stepping down as co-host (due
> to increased work responsibilities on his part), leaving me pretty
> much "solo", not to mention some of my own "life issues" this year.
> Net, net, I was not able to 'promote' the 2009 events as actively as I
> would have liked, since I had to make sure the "backroom" processes
> (log receiving, place to post list of Logs Received, prepping for log
> checking so it CAN BE DONE a LOT more quickly in 2009, etc.) were in
> place and ready, so basically, I ended up being too busy to even ASK
> for assistance and I DID what I felt to be most important.
> 
> I MUST take SIGNIFICANT issue with your, Les's, statement (especially
> since sent 'nationwide') that:
> 
>    And the late announcement date meant that amateur print
>    publications such as QST had no opportunity to get them published.
> 
> The Spring Sprints WERE "posted" in QST. IN the April 2009 issue,
> (which should have been delivered in mid-March) mention of the Spring
> Sprints was in SEVERAL places. Sean, KX9X, mentioned the 2 meter
> Spring Sprint SPECIFICALLY as one of his "Sean's Picks" bullets at the
> bottom of his "This Month in Contesting" column on p. 83. All three of
> the April events were in the "Contest Corral on p.84 (and they are all
> in the "ON-LINE Contest Corral" on the Contest Department home page at
> http://www.arrl.org/contests/ ). IN the "World Above 50 MHz" column,
> pp. 91-93, there are TWO mentions; bottom center of p. 91 in the "This
> Month" box and as the third of five items in the "Here and There" at
> the end of the column on p. 93.
> 
> If you (Les) have some suggestions on HOW to get MORE coverage than
> THAT in QST, I'm open to such.
> 
> I've not seen the May, 2009, QST yet but I'm quite sure that the two
> May events (Microwave and 50 MHz) will be mentioned in Contest Corral
> and World Above 50 MHz, as the April events were. The Spring Sprints
> were/are also on the WA7BNM Contest Calendar. Admittedly, I did NOT
> get them into CQ or CQ-VHF for 2009 (but they were NOT in there in
> 2008 either, unless someone there GUESSED at the dates).
> 
> Also, what about "you" (Les) promoting activity locally there in the
> central Alabama area. Don't you have a list of regional VHFers with
> whom you exchange e-mails? Bug them, send messages "reminding" them of
> the Sprints (and OTHER VHF Activities). In the Chicago and
> southeastern Wisconsin area we have the Badger Contesters with a
> reasonably active e-mail reflector. There is the Northern Lights Radio
> Society (NLRS) up in Minnesota (Twin Cities predominant), the
> KCGridBandits out in the Kansas City area, LOTS of clubs up in the
> Northeast. These are very effective in stirring up activity.
> 
> Further affiant sayeth naught. Cordially, JK
>