[VHFcontesting] January contest comments

[N6FD]

On 1/31/2013 6:02 PM, Ralph Matheny K8RYU wrote:
> I've not been following this thread very well, but here are my
> comments, from the perspective of a casual contester, long-time VHFer
> with a pretty good station, in a grid with little activity:
>
> 1)  VHF contests are generally a bore.  The whole structure of
> the VHF contests needs a serious re-evaluation.  The exception
> is the "Sprint" events which concentrate activity into a short
> period on a single band.  That structure makes more sense.  It
> is not unusual for me to make more Q's in the 222 Sprints than I
> do in the January VHF Sweepstakes.
>
>
SNIP!

The only problem with sprint type events is that I would probably not 
get on the air.  I live in a bowl, so any contesting activity is 
portable operation.  It takes 4-6 hours to set up a reasonably 
competitive station, so doing that for each sprint is time prohibitive.  
(I know single band reduces the requirements, but I usually put several 
antennas on each mast, so its not that much different.)  I also have to 
drive anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to a decent location for the contest.  
So doing this 4-6 times for each sprint just doesn't work.

73, Erich
N6FD, DM15bp