[VHFcontesting] [VHF] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating

[jimk8mr at aol.com]

Also, VHF and even more so UHF, is very unforgiving about local 
geography. If you are not up high, you are starting at a big 
disadvantage.

Many years ago, in a former location at 800 AS,L I would listen to 
local big guns on 2M telling guys 400 miles away how loud they were - 
guys that I could not even hear. And even if I had a few more tower 
sections and and many more elements, I would still not hear those guys.

It's better now in my current location at 1200 ASL (about as high as it 
gets around here) I can at least hear those guys, if not loud. But not 
everybody lives at the top of a hill.

73   -   Jim   K8MR



-----Original Message-----
From: Crownhaven <crownhaven at bellsouth.net>
To: les <les at highnoonfilm.com>; vhfcontesting 
<vhfcontesting at contesting.com>; vhf <vhf at w6yx.stanford.edu>
Sent: Sun, Feb 9, 2014 8:47 pm
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] [VHF] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal 
Operating

If they really wanted to increase activity, they should subsidize 
anyone
who wants to operate a rover (tongue in cheek).  That is about the only
way we are going to get any activity.  One of the problems with VHF, et
al, other than contesting, is you sit around for months and sometimes
years waiting for an opening.  It might last a few hours and that is 
the
end of the story.  Living in a high traffic area like the NE USA is
great during a contest but like operating CB the rest of the time.  
Most
guys like the thrill of the hunt, not a ragchew.  And it IS expensive 
to
be competitive.  Unlike HF where a tri-bander makes you competitive 
with
about anyone as long as you have propagation, that is far from the case
on V/U. Long boom antennas, preamps, heliax, esoteric radios and
transverters.  It adds up fast.  We should do everything possible to 
get
more rovers out there.  That is the only hope.

Steve, N4JQQ, EM55bd