[VHFcontesting] Whats up with the ARRL?

[Paul Kiesel]

The Programs and Services Committee has a lot of stuff on their plate. Most of it's members are not knowledgible about the VHF weak signal world, but they want to help. Hence, they created the VUAC, whose members have their own individual biases and specific lack of knowledge and/or experience. Recommendations from the VUAC are certain to be weighted by their own biases. Beyond that, I think that there is an ongoing "need to have contests run like on HF" mentality and pressure being pushed on ARRL officials by those who should have no say, such as contest log scoring volunteers, as an example. Officials in the ARRL rely on these volunteers to take care of a lot of work that needs to be done and must be grant them listening time. There is also a large lobby from many old corp EMEers who have influence by virtue of past contributions to amateur radio and the League.

So, it's not just a matter of the League officials not doing their job. It's more complicated than that. People on the PSC have indicated that they will be open to input regarding this "no assisted" rule. The doors haven't been locked on this.

Something might be said for pushing for change, but this kind of activism is unwarranted. Pushing to have people boycott contests is not called for.  

73,
Paul, K7CW

--- On Sun, 8/9/09, frank bechdoldt <k3uhf at hotmail.com> wrote:

From: frank bechdoldt <k3uhf at hotmail.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Whats up with the ARRL?
To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2009, 9:04 AM


Though I generally try to encourage vhf activity, it seems that it may be a time to make a statement to the ARRL.  Marshall suggested sending in empty logs in response to the EME rule change.  I am not versed well in EME but I think he has a point. Un assisted may be the ultimate goal, and it is definitely more of a challenge, but the assisted should be there to help those to the ultimate goal if they can ever reach it.  
Compare it to golf, most of us will never be pros, but we still enjoy the game as an amateur or with a handicap.  It seems that the ARRL has wiped out the amateur and the Handicaps in this arena.
This strikes me as odd considering how they have reached out to encourage growth in other VHF contests such as the rover category.  Its my opinion that they botched  up  roving as well and tried to fix it with a band aid when it needed a major overhaul.  That being said, at least the effort was there to encourage participation even if  the PSC chose to ignore some of  the suggestions of the VUAC.
In comparison to that debacle, it seems that the ARRL went the other way with the EME contests.  This shows a total lack of direction from the ARRL. It also demonstrates that they are no better then a boat with no sail or engine and they will simply go where the winds and currents  of politics go.  
This leads me to believe that the ARRL contests are fundamentally flawed and lack any serious sense of purpose or vision.  I believe  in some cases like grid circling on microwave bands  they are only manufactured short range QSOs  to justify the monopolization of otherwise unused spectrum and this is why the ARRl allows it to continue.  
Its time we took a honest  look at ourselves as amateur radio operators. We have a long history of giving to the human race in various ways.  But we get down right mad if they threaten to take away some spectrum way up in the microwaves that we will never use more than a few MHZ of.  If that technology can be put to better use then we should give it up.
Or better yet, maybe its time to find a better way to use that spectrum ourselves and seek to redefine our licenses as to help more people.  We have let the confines of our licenses let technology pass us by and we are becoming irrelevant unless a natural disaster hits.  
I challenge the ARRL to do something useful and to lobby for a redefinition of our privileges on the microwave bands.  One idea ; Let Amateurs set up moderate powered wireless network nodes in our spectrum above 2.4 ghz  and let non hams buy equipment to connect to them.  Imagine a more free internet using ham technology.  There has to be better ideas than this.  If we are to continue we must make ourselves relevant.
All of this shows that I think the ARRL is lost. The contest system is seriously flawed. It can never be perfect but the way they run it is half hearted and subject to too much politics and lacks any vision or sense of direction.  The things that some of us do to get the little pieces of paper are sometimes ludicrous and the fact that there is no real tangible standard makes them somewhat meaning less.
If there was a way to recall the PSC I would do it.  For now I agree with Marshall, if you are alienated due to the lack common sense in the rules just send in an empty log.  Do the contest and work towards your VUCC. At least there is a sense of direction with that award and a definite standard and the politics behind it are laid to rest. 
 
k3uhf
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