[VHFcontesting] Preliminary - Rover Activity in the January 2010 Contest

[James Duffey]

With 73 entrants, rover activity was high during the January 2010 contest. Both Classic Rover entries and Limited Rover entries grew from 2008. The Unlimited Rover Class continues to languish, with just 2 entries. Overall participation in the contest grew significantly from 649 entries in 2009 to 759 entries in 2010 and rover entries grew from 58 in 2009.

Here is the historical January contest participation data with 2010 preliminary data added:   

Table - Rover Activity in the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes since 1992							
Year	All	Rover	%Rover	CR  LR  UR  Notes
2010	759	73	9.6	47  24  2	
2009	649	58	8.9	41  12  5	
2008	709	61	8.6	36  24  1   Rover Categories Added
2007	778	68	8.7	68			
2006	793	67	8.4	67			
2005	712	53	7.4	53			
2004	834	93	11.2	93			
2003	798	82	10.3	82			
2002	802	72	9.0	72			
2001	790	86	10.9	66			
2000	820	48	5.9	48			
1999	966	76	7.9	76			
1998	1075	74	6.9	74			
1997	1182	78	6.6	78			
1996	1219	80	6.6	80	    Rover Scoring Changed
1995	1171	71	6.1	71	    Rover Scoring Changed
1994	1013	86	8.5	66			
1993	1036	106	10.2	106			
1992	958	79	8.2	79	    First Rover Class
CR - Classic Rover
LR - Limited Rover
UR - Unlimited Rover

The 2010 data is based on the logs received page from the ARRL web site. It does not include paper entries, so the total may grow by 5% or so and perhaps another rover or two. Still it is good enough to show positive trends.

Activity in the January Contest, particularly for rovers, is very dependent on the weather, which explains many of the wide swings sees in the historical participation data. In some cases it is impossible to rove due to road conditions, and cold temperatures can make it difficult to get out and work antennas. This year the weather was OK over much of the US, and good for the high VHF activity areas in the midwest and east. The southwest had record rain everywhere and snow at the higher elevations in the days leading up to the contest, but the weather for the contest weekend was fairly mild. See my soapbox for pictures of the KK6MC/r rover covered in snow the day before the contest, and another with it surrounded by saguaro cactus in sunlight a day later. AF6O has similar photos of his rover. KR0VER/R got out in Colorado, as did N0LP/R, for the first rover entries in a January contest from that state in many years. No longer will rovers from NM own the January contest in the Rocky Mountain Division. Of particular interest is the 420 mile 2M SSB QSO from K7ULS, on Powder Mountain in UT to KR0VER/r in Eastern Colorado! And anyone who complains about the cold affecting roving contests should read NL7HJ/r's soapbox comments.

The classic rover entries grew a bit, which is good, as I said in the September analysis there is concern that the limited class will siphon off Classic Rover entrants and that is clearly not the case here. The limited Rover class doubled in size over last year, but remains constant from 2008. The class is getting traction, attracting newcomers, or inactive rovers who don't want to go to the bother of outfitting a full up 10 band rover. 

The Unlimited Rover Class has not attracted a significant number of participants since it was formed, and it certainly has not been used by entrants as it was envisioned. The entrants who have used it, have used it to good advantage though. The lack of entrants in the Unlimited class has been pretty universal across all the VHF/UHF contests from the introduction of the class. 

The California rover pack was out with 11 well equipped rover stations and contributed to an impressive score for the Southern California Contest Club in the Club competition. The pack used a slightly different strategy, with some of the rovers splitting off from the pack so that not all of the rovers were in the same grid at the same time.

There was some Es from AZ and southern CA to the northwest and rovers took advantage of that to get a few more multipliers than usual. There was little in the way of other openings; little tropo and no aurora. 

The Spring Sprints are coming up and it is not too early to start planning your rove. Although these are short contests, with planning and a favorable location a Rover can get to two, three, or even four grids in an evening. - Duffey


--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM