[VHFcontesting] Where Have All the Multi's Gone?
Ed Kucharski
k3dne at comcast.net
Fri Jan 29 21:08:49 EST 2021
Fantastic reply to my post, Terry! Thanks. Well said! I admire your passion and dedication. What you and the K8GP team as well as many other multi's (and rovers) do, did and achieve(d) are remarkable and appreciated.
I share your feelings in almost all aspects. We can't do anything about the SK's, aging-out or those who left for family reasons (unless they change). I took a 12 year semi-break to raise a family. I'm now retired and back - albeit in EM94 SC as opposed to the middle of the NE corridor in FM19! Like you, I feel I have at least (I hope and pray) a solid 10 years or more of contesting left - due to the decline in VHF contest activity recently, I've found myself doing a lot of HF contesting but my first love is VHF+ contesting.
Even though I agree, I think the only area I'm not completely on-board with is about your "pretty simple formula". The use of digital when appropriate and ssb/cw when appropriate only makes sense. You're correct and this isn't rocket science BUT it is not being done! The crux to the problem is the solution to the simple formula. How to move stations off of digital and back on ssb/cw where contacts can be made quickly, efficiently with easier ability to QSY to UHF/microwaves (I still have an 8 band station waiting to go hilltopping). Use the digital modes for those QSO's where those modes are actually required to make the QSO. We talk about these issues a lot in our post contest emails on the reflector, 3830 posts or in the soapbox results articles but nothing is really being done to solve them.
My solution is a rule change. Not sure if you've seen my previous posts on my proposed idea? I got a few positive and negative comments but not nearly as many comments as I expected. Maybe people either didn't read my posts, maybe they don't care or they don't agree and didn't comment? There seems to be plenty complaining about the lack of ssb/cw activity and the inability to QSY stations to UHF/uwaves however!
My proposal is based on the ARRL 10m contest as an example of a successful split mode contest (SSB Only, CW Only and Mixed Mode categories). I believe we can apply a similar model to the big 3 ARRL VHF contests.
"Legacy" (phone/cw Only), “Digital" Only and "Mixed Mode" (phone/cw AND digital).
All the other categories presently in use in our vhf contests will fall under these 3 main categories (just like the ARRL 10m contest). Rules and scoring will not change. I understand rule changes and additional categories are generally frowned upon (not sure what else to suggest?). My intent is to get more stations back on ssb, cw and on uhf/microwaves (by making it easier to move stations to those bands from 6 or 2m via ssb/cw).
Many stations that have been around for 5 years or more (and operated ssb/cw in the past) will most likely not limit themselves to the Digital Only category and probably enter in the Mixed Mode (or Legacy) category making more phone/cw QSO's and splitting their time more towards phone/cw than just digital. In order for them to do well (win their category, finish in the top 10, win the division, whatever their goal) they will have to focus more on phone/cw (those potential QSO's can't be ignored or else they won't be as competitive) and by doing so, the opportunity to move stations to uhf/microwave bands will become more prevalent again. Something that isn't being done (much) on digital.
The proposal creates a Legacy category just for the phone/cw ops (and perhaps multi's and rovers too) who may have little or no interest in digital and a Digital Only category just for the digital enthusiasts. For those who want both they may enter in the Mixed Mode category. I see it as a win-win resulting in increased overall activity (I'm guessing more log submissions is something ARRL wants?) and more UHF/microwave activity (again something ARRL desires to protect our spectrum?). I sent a version of this proposal to ARRL last July and only received a polite reply or two. I've revamped it some and plan on sending it again.
Best of luck building the new multi station at your new QTH - I saw the pics on-line. I hope to work you in the upcoming contests - maybe on ssb or cw!
73,
Ed K3DNE
> On 01/29/2021 2:02 PM Terry Price < terry at directivesystems.com mailto:terry at directivesystems.com > wrote:
>
>
> Ed, et all,
>
> There are several reasons for the decline, mostly age. K3YTL, W3SO and
> others have lost folks that pretty well crippled them. Others had families
> to raise, most folks don't know what a herculean effort it takes to put on
> a multi unlimited effort. From 1994 until 2013 K8GP had a minimum of 8 core
> members that showed up for every contest. The logistics of getting three
> 1985 school buses loaded with gear, food and operators was monumental. Just
> look at the pix on K8GP.net and imagine trying to assemble this station in
> just two days, operate for 1.8 days then tear down and be on the road home
> by noon Monday!!! At that time, I had what I thought was a stable job but
> in 2009, I was showed the door and there went 6wks of vacation every
> year!!!
>
> N8FMD stopped because their leader needed to care for his aging parents.
> There were BIG multis in W9 land, K9HMB (SK), the AA9D group and W9ICE.
> WB0DRL is another that went away. Some of it might have been a result of
> folks thinking they could never beat W2SZ who has it honed to a sharp
> point, but K8GP beat them 5 times, more than anyone. We did it with the
> best operators, IMHO the beat location, Spruce Knob, and great equipment
> plus a lot of effort from Owen, K3CB(SK), Gene, W3ZZ(SK), W4XP, K1RA, K3MM
> and K1HTV along with satellite operators K1TR, KM3T, NW5E, W3CMP and many
> others.
>
> Andy, K1RA and I have transitioned to roving for many years until my new
> place in FM09 is ready for K8GP MU again - I still have at least another 10
> goods years in me!!! I've heard other MU's are going to come back.
>
> What EVERYONE can do to help limited, unlimited, rovers and SO's, LEAN HOW
> TO USE FT8 AND DON'T JUST SIT ON IT FOR HOURS!!!!! Casual operators will
> not stop abusing FT8 until the core contesters stop working them. I'm sorry
> and I'm not trying to be rude but 10 band stations like K1TEO, K1RZ, K8GP
> and the rest invest THOUSANDS of dollars in their stations and if you can't
> tell someone to QSY off 6m or 2m, why have it!?!?!
>
> It's a pretty simple formula, use FT8 when SSB or CW won't work. If it's
> meteors, use MSK144, eme use JTXX, normal Q's, SSB, FM or cw, it ain't
> rocket science. I understand folks have issues with their HOA's, besides
> hanging the bastards, all you can do is move or rove. An attic antenna is
> fine to work 40 miles but if you are really interested in real VHF DXing,
> get a rover, backpack to a mountaintop, pack up the wife and kids and get a
> house where there are no lawn Nazi's!!!
>
> I personally have been VHF contesting since 1979 and until my ashes are
> spread over Spruce Knob, I will continue, the stuff I've worked and K8GP
> has worked is nothing short of spectacular. Consider K8GP is the ONLY
> multiop that EVER has achieved a 10 band VUCC, and we did it twice!!! And,
> we also scored over 1 million points as a limited MU, that will never
> happen again!!
>
> So IMHO, the main reason is age for the decline but I fear FT8 will quickly
> pass up old age!
>
> 73,
>
> See you all in June!!
>
> Terry - W8ZN
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 29, 2021 at 8:45 AM Ed Kucharski < k3dne at comcast.net mailto:k3dne at comcast.net > wrote:
>
>
> > > Sorry, the chart did not retain its formatting. I was afraid of that -
> > should have sent it to myself first to test.
> > I tried an Excel file too but got an error message it was too big. I'll
> > try to figure something out.
> > 73,
> > Ed K3DNE
> >
> >
> > > > > On 01/29/2021 8:36 AM Ed Kucharski < k3dne at comcast.net mailto:k3dne at comcast.net mailto:
> > >
> > > > > k3dne at comcast.net mailto:k3dne at comcast.net > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> >
> > > > > I'm doing some research and digging for data about the recent thread
> > >
> > > > > associated with the effect FTx has had on traditional weak signal modes
> > (ssb/cw).
> > >
> >
> > > > > In the process I noticed a dramatic decrease in both Limited Multi
> > >
> > > > > and Unlimited Multi activity and scores (September VHF Contests) in the
> > mid-late 2000's and again in 2015. The authors of the results write-ups
> > noted this as well but didn't offer an explanation (unless I missed it).
> > >
> >
> > > > > Why??? What am I missing? FT8 didn't begin till 2017 (according to
> > >
> > > > > that write-up). Remember, I only looked at the September results! 2015 was
> > the first year allowing use of spotting in all categories (spots, chat
> > rooms, email, text, phone, etc.).
> > >
> >
> > > > > See my chart below. I had a little difficulty getting all the #'s if
> > >
> > > > > it wasn't mentioned in the write-up - scanning and manually counting
> > results - I may have missed a few either way, scores were rounded.
> > >
> >
> > > > > Thoughts?
> > >
> > > 73,
> > > Ed K3DNE
> > >
> > > LM = Limited Multi
> > > UM = Unlimited Multi
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Year
> > >
> > > #LM
> > >
> > > Average Score LM Top 10
> > >
> > > #UM
> > >
> > > # Total Multi (LM+UM)
> > >
> > > Average Score UM Top 10
> > >
> > > Cumulative Avg. Score Top 10 (LM+UM)
> > >
> > > 2000
> > >
> > > 53
> > >
> > > 246K
> > >
> > > 23
> > >
> > > 76
> > >
> > > 468K
> > >
> > > 714K
> > >
> > > 2005
> > >
> > > 33
> > >
> > > 296K
> > >
> > > 29
> > >
> > > 62
> > >
> > > 695K
> > >
> > > 991K
> > >
> > > 2010
> > >
> > > 23
> > >
> > > 78K
> > >
> > > 26
> > >
> > > 49
> > >
> > > 277K
> > >
> > > 355K
> > >
> > > 2014
> > >
> > > 41
> > >
> > > 97K
> > >
> > > 40
> > >
> > > 81
> > >
> > > 152K
> > >
> > > 249K
> > >
> > > 2015
> > >
> > > 17
> > >
> > > 75K
> > >
> > > 14
> > >
> > > 31
> > >
> > > 97K
> > >
> > > 172K
> > >
> > > 2017
> > >
> > > 21
> > >
> > > 54K
> > >
> > > 15
> > >
> > > 36
> > >
> > > 83K
> > >
> > > 137K
> > >
> > > 2018
> > >
> > > 22
> > >
> > > 45K
> > >
> > > 15
> > >
> > > 37
> > >
> > > 62K
> > >
> > > 107K
> > >
> > > 2019
> > >
> > > 22
> > >
> > > 54K
> > >
> > > 17
> > >
> > > 39
> > >
> > > 60K
> > >
> > > 114K
> > >
> > > 2020*
> > >
> > > 21
> > >
> > > 48K
> > >
> > > 12
> > >
> > > 33
> > >
> > > 57K
> > >
> > > 105K
> > >
> > > *2020 results possibly affected by COVID-19
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > VHFcontesting mailing list
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> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> > >
> > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
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