[VHFcontesting] Website updates for new and experienced contesters

[Todd Sprinkmann]

    Good Sunday morning, 

    I'm updating http://www.kc9bqa.com this weekend.  The slant is toward 
getting more contesting activity.  The posts dated July 11 and 12 on my 
website provide all the info a total novice needs to start enjoying 
weak-signal V/UHF work, and to feel comfortable trying a V/UHF contest. 

    I think the CQ WorldWide VHF Contest (1800utc Sat. June 18th until 
2100utc Sun. June 19th) is probably the best time to introduce an ordinary 
VHF'er to contesting.  Only 2 bands to keep track of, and better yet, they're 
the bands most any Joe Q. Ham has.  Anyone with 6 and/or 2 meters can try a 
VHF contest, next weekend.  Yet so few do try it, and worse yet, so few 
average hams even know what is that we do. 

    If you're like me (some years of V/UHF contesting experience), you can 
probably think of anywhere from several dozen to a few hundred hams who 
contest.  Of course, 90-95% of that is on the SSB side, and that's where I'd 
like to see everyone end up.  However, it's not realistic to think that most 
new V/UHF contesters will start with multiple bands and good yagis up high. 

    It's also true that for every dozen or so SSB op you know, there are 
hundreds of FM-only hams using VHF.   So to me, if you're going to get new 
guys/gals on, you need to reach out to the FM-only side.  Even if only 5 or 
10% of those FM-only stations end up getting motivated, that's a potentially 
large number of new weak-signal ops. 

    Over the past year in and near my SE WI QTH, I've managed to motivate a 
few dozen new ones.  Actually, there are new ones coming on board from the N 
ILL side, too, so the word is definitely spreading.  Some of the new ones are 
already enthusiastic about the weak-signal side and that's a great feeling. 

    We're going to attract more new ops this weekend by promoting FM activity 
periods in the July CQ WW VHF contest. 

    If you think something like this would help in your area, then get busy 
promoting.  So many "ordinary" hams just have no clue what it is that we 
enjoy so much.  Share your enthusiasm and raise some awareness.  You should 
see an improvement. 

    ***The FM activity periods in/around Milwaukee/Chicago and adjacent 
portions of MI and IN will be from 9-11pm on Sat. July 18th, and 6-8am on 
Sun. July 19th.  All times central. 

    We're encouraging everyone, regardless of experience, to tune around 
52.525 on 6m FM.  To especially tune around 146.550-146.580 on 2m FM.  To use 
their VFO's and spread out, if those primary freq's are too busy.  Use 
146.400-146.490 on 2, and if it's *really* busy, consider spreading out to 
147.420-147.570 simplex.  With good late-night and early-morning propagation, 
it could get that busy.*** 

    The July 2006 CQ WW VHF had outstanding prop across the Midwest and it 
just kept building as darkness fell.  I worked all kinds of new guys out 
200-500 miles on SSB, and when "normal" people started going to sleep, I 
found stations from Minneapolis, to Burlington, IA to Terre Haute, IN on 
146.xx Simplex.  Talking verticals, 50-100 watts, no super-stations.  But 
what fun! 

    You just read the short version -- the highlights.  Hope it gets you 
motivated to spread the word.  For those who want more detailed info about 
how to educate new contesters, it is up on my website.  Again, that's at 
http://www.kc9bqa.com.   You are free to use what I post there to help 
promote more activity in your area. 

    The posts dated July 11 and July 12 are a great place to get hams who 
have no experience with weak-signal V/UHF or with no V/UHF contesting 
experience up to speed.   Reading and absorbing everything will take an hour 
or so, but this isn't fast-food hamming.   When I was a sponge back in 
2002-2004, it took me weeks of scouring the internet to put it all together.  
Maybe I just didn't find the right places, but I don't think it should have 
to be that hard. 

    Now I need to organize a few links on the website, and try to put 
everything in one easily-accesible place. 

    Thanks for your time, 73, 
    Todd  KC9BQA   EN63ao   40 N of Milwaukee 
    50 thru 2304 
    http://www.kc9bqa.com   For Frequent VHF/UHF Updates