[VHFcontesting] 5 Band VUCC Award

[Les Rayburn]

Drew,

Ha, Ha.I hear you. I have 104 grids worked on 2 Meters, with about 83 
confirmed. Working hard to confirm the rest, and thinking that it may 
require setting up a portable digital EME operation from my
driveway to work enough new grids to complete the award.

But we're in the minority. Most active VHF operators (or at least the 
ones interested in VUCC) have earned it on multiple bands already. If we 
simply let them apply those credits to the new award, it
wouldn't generate a lot of new on-air activity.

The 5 Band VUCC Award would have no effect on the grids that you'd 
already worked and confirmed towards 2 Meter VUCC under this proposal. 
Plus it would be take quite awhile to get it up
and running, so you'd likely complete 2 M VUCC by then already.

Your comment does underscore Gene Zimmerman's assertion that 2 Meter 
VUCC is one of the more difficult operating awards to achieve. I 
certainly agree with him on that count. My hope is that
Five Band VUCC would nearly equal the challenge of FEMA, and generate 
the same kind of interest.



73,


Les Rayburn, N1LF



On 6/19/2013 9:36 AM, Andrew Glasbrenner wrote:
> I was with you right up to the "reset to zero" part. I have 90 something grids on 2m, and if I had to restart at zero for this, well, that's not happening here.
>
> 73, Drew KO4MA
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jun 19, 2013, at 10:23 AM, Les Rayburn <les at highnoonfilm.com> wrote:
>
>> Several amateurs have written to tell me that they are reaching out to their ARRL Division Directors and endorsing the idea of a Five Band VHF-UHF Century Club Award. My hope is
>> that VHF Associations such as the SEVHFS, Central States, AMSAT, etc. would also endorse the proposal.
>>
>> Some more clarification on my suggestion to create a Five Band VHF-UHF Century Club Award:
>>
>> The main purpose of the award is to increase on-air activity both during contests and band openings. It would also spur activity on linear satellites, and hopefully encourage more weak signal operators to
>> try satellite operation.
>>
>> There are more than a few operators who have already achieved VUCC on multiple bands,
>> and worked a lot of grids during their careers. Some of these stations now only get on for contests, and largely ignore band openings and day to day operation. The award is an incentive for
>> these stations to return to the air since it resets everyone's score card to zero.
>>
>> My other hope is that the award will help to elevate the status of the VUCC Award overall, and encourage more operators to get involved in VHF DXing.
>>
>> 1.) A requirement to include at least one of the lower VHF bands such as 6 Meters, 2 Meters, or 222 to prevent someone from simply going out with microwave gear and earning the award
>> in a weekend. Personally, I would favor 2 Meters as a requirement since this is perhaps the most difficult of the VUCC Awards to achieve and would insure the most on-air activity.
>>
>> 2.) By making the award a Five Band award, you insure that at least one microwave band will be required to earn the award, thus increasing participation on the Microwave bands. (Technically, this
>> could be avoided by earning one for Satellite operation and then 902, but you get the point)
>>
>> 3.) Satellite VUCC has been available since the award was created. It would remain one of the options for earning the award and qualify as a "band" for that purpose. Anyone who thinks Satellite work
>> isn't weak signal doesn't operate satellites.
>>
>> 4.) Resetting everyone to zero has no bearing on past VUCC award credit, FEMA credit, or your bragging rights. It just helps to get people out of their chair during the NFL Championship game and back
>> onto the air. It also simplifies the programming requirements for Logbook of the World in implementing the new award, and makes it faster for the ARRL to implement the new award.
>>
>> 5.) Endorsements for modes such as CW, digital, EME, etc. would certainly be a good option. If anyone could earn this award on a single mode or type of propagation my hat would really be off to you!
>> More likely would be endorsements for other bands, so you could have a eight band VUCC, etc.
>>
>> To work the award would need a lot of Public Relations support from the ARRL to promote it, and build it's prestige among amateurs. Sean are you listening? (ha, ha) VUCC has always suffered
>> an identity crisis among hams, and been viewed as the "little brother" to the DXCC. The Fred Fish Memorial Award seems to have avoided that problem, and is coveted by operators.
>>
>> Have you checked the total number of VUCC Awarded once you exclude 6 Meters? It's amazingly small on some bands---proof positive that even VHF Operators don't always consider VUCC as
>> a goal. Changing the perception of the award will be an important job for the league and VHF associations.
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> --
>> 73,
>>
>> Les Rayburn, N1LF
>> 121 Mayfair Park
>> Maylene, AL 35114
>> EM63nf
>>
>> 6M VUCC #1712
>> AMSAT #38965
>> Grid Bandits #222
>> Southeastern VHF Society
>> Central States VHF Society Life Member
>> Six Club #2484
>>
>> Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz & Light
>>
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