[VHFcontesting] Digital and VHF contests

[Rick R]

I’m resending this to a wider readership. Having been the author of the June VHF contest results for QST for several years (prior to FT8) I had all of the entrants scores. In a nutshell, 90% of those log submissions were “low” scoring casual contesters. My read is that most were out to join in the fun, give out points to the big guns and multis, say hi to another VHFer and to perhaps get some new grids. They operated for a few hours when the bands were busy—and the detailed Packrat log reviews done by WA3RLT showed the first few contest hours, Sat eve and Sunday eve as peak times, at least for the Mid-Atlantic and northeast. Now it is far more difficult for that casual op to find the concentrated activity except on the FT8 frequency. And moving up the bands based on a completed FT8 contact is problematic. More recently I have been writing up the QST EME contest results and there are similar issues regarding digital vs CW, especially for contests. The introduction of JT65 has been a great boon to EME activity, yet there is still substantial CW activity.  I don’t have any solutions to returning to the activity of the past, but here are some thoughts. 
There have been EME contest activities sponsored by EU groups (ARI) that were digital only or CW/SSB only. The ARRL EME contest separates results of those who use CW/SSB only from those who use digital only or digital plus CW/SSB. Many have suggested that CW and/or SSB QSOs be given a higher point value than digital contacts. Others have proposed credit for multiple QSOs on the same band with the same station for 2 or 3 modes. Others thought there should be separate contests for digital and other modes.
Hopefully the ARRL radiosport staff will evaluate what is happening and get an adhoc committee to discuss and make recommendations regarding VHF contests. We have been given fantastic tools with digital programs. We need to be able to utilize them and yet maintain a balance that keeps some of the personality of the stations and operators on the air that makes it easy and fun for the casual VHF contesters who are the real majority of those on the air for the contest weekends who help feed the logs and scores of the big guns. Rick K1DS