[VHFcontesting] HF vs VHF Contests was Re: The VHF rules....what do we want??

[Bob K0NR - email list]

On 6/20/2013 12:59 PM, George Fremin III wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 11:35:55PM -0500, Zack Widup wrote:
>> Good points. VHF contesting is nothing like HF contesting (except
>> maybe for the occasional huge 6m opening). Also, VHF+ contests are
>> primarily VHF weak-signal contests.
> I am not sure I agree with this statement.
>
> I do VHF contests. I do HF contests.
>
> While HF contests do tend to have more signals on the bands than doing
> a VHF contest here in Central Texas those signals are often very
> weak. Indeed I would contend that if you are going to do well in an HF
> contest you have to work more weak signals than others - often winning
> is about who can work the most weak guys.
>
> And they can be very slow events too. 10 meters, 160 meters etc. are
> very much like doing a VHF contest many years.  Slow rates and very
> weak signals coming in on very strange paths.  If you think VHF/UHF is
> 'hard' please come and do a 160 contest sometime.  Try to make some
> long path contacts on 80 or 160.  Try to work some countries on
> scatter paths on 10 and 15 meters during low or no sun spots.
>
> When I do a VHF contest it doe snot feel mcuh differnt to me than
> doing an HF contest - excpet that here in Texas we all share 144.200 -
> but other than things like that it is just the same.  Calling CQ,
> tuning the bands looking or a new station, moving stations to other
> bands for the mults and contacts and moving the antennas around
> looking for stations and openings.  Those are some of the things that
> make contests fun - be they HF or VHF.

    Wow, I have to agree with Zack. The typical HF contest is a band full
    of signals. The typical VHF contest is turning antennas and listening hard
    to squeeze out a contact. Unless 6 Meters is open with sporadic-e,
    then it does its "act like an HF contest" thing.

    Anyway, that's my experience.

    73, Bob K0NR