[VHFcontesting] Rover generated 222 MHz QSOs reduced under new rules?

[James Duffey]

I was curious as to the effect on 1.35M (222MHz) QSOs of the new Limited Rover rule that stipulates that 6M, 2M, 1.35M and 0.7M be used  as the Limited Rover's 4 bands:

222 MHz QSOs from Rovers in June VHF Contest
	
Year	total 	Classic Limited Unlimited 
2009	1406	883	414	109
2008	1257	965	95	197
2007	1613	1613		
2006	1627	1627		
2005	1582	1582		
2004	2217	2217		
2003	1575	1575		
2002	1634	1634

I was pleasantly surprised that the total number of 222MHz QSOs due to Rovers increased from 2008 to 2009, and that increase was solely due to the Limited Rovers. To see how that compared to a "normal" year, I looked at 222 MHz QSOs from previous year's contests. I was surprised that the number of 222 MHz QSOs dropped significantly when the new Rover categories were introduced in 2008! The number of 222 MHz QSOS by Rovers had held remarkably steady at about 1600 (except for 2004) for the 6 years (all the data that is posted on the ARRL web site) previous to the new Rover categories in 2008. 

I am not sure what all this means. I am not too surprised that the number of 222 MHz QSOs due to Rovers held steady in previous years, as the number of Rover entries during this time did not vary much. I originally thought that the drop in 2008 was due to the great Sporadic E that year, but that did not hold up in previous years when there was good Sporadic E. 

Does anyone have an idea of why the 222MHz activity was so high in 2004? It seemed like a rather normal contest in respect to participation and presence of Sporadic E. It was the year that N6NB/r, N6VI/r, and N6MU/r roved and grid circled in the high plains and racked up over 500 222 MHz QSOs between them, so that may have contributed to the large number of 222 MHz QSOs that year. 

We need more 222 mHz activity in the VHF contests though, and it looks like the new Rover rules have decreased the number of 222 MHz QSOs generated. That, I think, is not good for the contest. - Duffey
--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM