[VHFcontesting] JUNE/JULY VHF Contest Proposal and Operating Protocol

[alex at kr1st.com]

A "short note" he says. :D

Things need to be kept simple, not be made more complex. You are not 
going to persuade people to change their behavior by adding bunch of 
levels of complexity to the rules. People operating the digital modes do 
this because, well, they like to operate digital modes. They will 
continue to do so, no matter how many points you throw at legacy modes. 
The assumption that people work the contest to score points may not be 
as valid as you think it is. Make rules more complex and you may even 
scare people off.

Separate contests for digital modes and traditional/legacy modes is a 
far better solution I think. It keeps things simple and that way folks 
can participate in what they are interested in, and operate how they see 
fit. The nice thing about separate contests is that you can quickly 
implement it (from a sponsor's perspective) and if it doesn't prove to 
be a popular solution, you can quickly revert back.

73,
--Alex KR1ST


On 2021-06-02 17:02, Bob, W3IDT wrote:
> ALL interested in VHF Contesting,
> 
> A year ago I drafted and distributed a paper regarding where goes VHF
> contesting given the prevalence of FT8 operation and the reduction of
> CW and SSB contacts. The paper generated much discussion directly with
> me and on various VHF and club reflectors.
> 
> I was unable to follow-up on the discussion because 1) the unexpected
> death of Marty Johnson, w3yoz, the owner of the W3SO VHF contest
> station in FN00 at which I usually operate 6m, and 2) my own heart
> attack - now fully recovered. Then the COVID19 pandemic... [June will
> be my first time back at W3SO since January 2020.]
> 
> While in this short note I can't restate all the arguments for and
> against various options covered in the original paper - a copy is
> below the signature block - several features stand out: