[VHFcontesting] What is accomplished?

[N6FD]

Thanks Bruce,

Your description of a VHF contest setup resembles what I go through as 
well.  Up here in DM15, if the rovers aren't out I usually don't work my 
own grid on 222, 902 and 1296.  I have to mountain-top because the home 
QTH is at least 2500' below average terrain from a VHF+ station 
perspective.   The set up and tear down make it a 4 day expedition most 
weekends. 

Erich, N6FD
Usually QRP Portable from DM15


Bruce Kripton wrote:
> You know, if the government spent this much time working on fixing the budget, we'd all be richer, the economy would be thriving and every rainbow would end at a pot of gold. Unfortunately, life and many things aren't "fair" to someone or others ..
>  
> I've watched this thread and others like it with interest and angst for years ...  From my home, I'm really not able to contest on VHF and above, for many reasons including keeping neighbors friendly and not being able to pay the extortion charged by my city for engineering and permitting requirements ...
>  
> Instead, I pack up more antennas and gear than many amateurs even own, much less have in use, haul it all to a hill or mountain top, spend one to two days setting up multiple yagi's, microwave dishes, verticals and then all of the radios ...
>  
> Then it's contest time ...  24, 30 and more hours, followed by tear down, packing everything back up, taking it home and unloading it all to wait for another "weekend".
>  
> All of this from the VHF plus contesting armpit of the United States, in San Diego.
>  
> If I'm lucky, I'll work about 70% fixed stations, and perhaps the remaining 30% mobile, many of which are "rovers". In some cases a rover is declared on the fly, simply because the incidental contact is driving from point a to point b, not sure if they're going to cross an invisible grid square line. In other cases, I'll catch travellers going across the US - Mexico border, or crossing state lines on travel to Arizona or Nevada. 
>  
> I'll also make contact with what I'll affectionately call the "N6NB Entourage" while they're in range and working their course, typically moving north and away from the coast. Candidly, I'm grateful for the extra bands, points and grid squares. Often times, this group will be the only ones with capabilities on 902 and higher. Additionally, I'm always appreciative of anyone who (until recently) braved 4+ dollar a gallon gas just to drive around like mad men (and women) and push operating conditions and limits. Note, contrary to what some apparently believe, they DO work others outside their travelling group.
>  
> Have you figured out yet that I don't care too much about "scores" ? I guess this gets back to the original question as well, "What is accomplished" ?
>  
> I never stand a chance of getting a nationally recognised rating or score, we simply don't have the ham population in southern California to support it - fixed or mobile. I do however enjoy putting DM12 on many folks maps and logs that otherwise won't have it. I enjoy moving to the digital modes in the evening when regular traffic starts to wane and picking up the odd stuff off of burning rocks and the Moon instead of calling it an evening. 
>  
> I've always been and to this day remain facinated that this "stuff" works at all - antennas,radios, propagation, digital modes, and folks also crazy enough to engage in it. I've always told people it's like fishing, you get what you get, sometimes you're lucky, sometimes not. There are people that like to fish in the ocean and streams, others may prefer lakes, including ones that are "stocked". Everyone is going to have an opinion about what is best, what is fair and what is legal. Everyone also has a chance to choose which they prefer or even to participate.
>  
> If I don't think it's fair because the northeastern states have such a high population of active operators and ultimately win the majority of all categories in every contest with nationally recognised scores, should I suggest that we start playing this like bowling or a golf game ? Handicap operators to balance out scoring because they have the "advantage" that I will never have ? Probably not a very popular thought, and frankly while I find the thought amusing, I'd never suggest it because it's simply rediculous to consider. The rules are the rules, folks have and will continue to be critical of them but until they're changed, not much we can do about it until then.
>  
> Maybe I should start the charge to "equalize" the scoring to give Southern California a realistic chance to score well or high nationally ? How 'bout we focus on that instead of a dedicated group of operators that simply work the rules as they are today ?
>  
> Nah, didn't think so  :-)
>  
>  
> OBTW - since we're all so detail oriented and passionate about this stuff, please note that Carrie is driving an Infiniti, NOT a Lexus ....
>  
> regards, kg6iyn
>  
>