[VHFcontesting] The 222 MHz Fall Sprint K1WHS Summary

[David Olean]

Hi 222 Fanatics,

I just participated in the Fall 222 MHz Sprint for four hours, and 
actually exceeded my 222 MHz score for the entire  ARRL September QSO 
Party that takes place over a 33 hour period. There was no difference in 
band conditions. Both the weekend and this past Tuesday night had 
typical conditions with no enhancements out of the immediate area. It 
was a good comparison, so why did I do better in four hours vs the 33 
hours that were available to me in the ARRL contest?  I think it 
demonstrates that we have serious problems in the implementation of the 
ARRL contest.  Between switching between all the bands, we also have 
switching between frequencies in the analog vs digital realm.  Throw in 
all of the categories available now and things really get interesting. 
Gee, I can enter this category with four bands, or these categories with 
three bands needed. What should I do this time?     I have never been in 
favor of adding new entry categories.  I call it the Balkanization of 
VHF contesting. All of these rule changes have brought us to the point 
where experienced VHF ops do not even want to participate anymore. I can 
cite one anecdotal example right in my back yard. I have a 100 ft tower 
with  four big seven element yagis all mounted on TIC Rings. They are 
fed with four phase matched lengths of 7/8" heliax feedlines with a 
phase switching matrix indoors that can control beam patterns and 
elevation angles.  There is a nice 3CX3000A7 single band amplifier that 
can supply 1500 watts of RF in an almost Class A arrangement. It all has 
sat idle for a few years. The reason is that the June and September 
contests are not fun for anyone who has been brought up in a contesting 
environment.   No one wants to operate it anymore.  I am thinking of 
giving the entire setup away.   One of the reasons that SSB and CW 
activity has diminished in contests is because the contests do not bring 
excitement or fun into the equation like they used to.  VHF is hard 
enough with poor conditions. Most HF contesters do not see the point of 
being there with a 12 per hour rate. Anything below 100 per hour tends 
to incite boredom. Experienced VHF ops are a bit more stoic I think!   
By reducing the FUN factor of VHF contesting, now the experienced VHF 
ops are sitting out those weekends. THEY ARE BORED.

Activity breeds activity.  I believe that an entire new regimen is 
needed to bring the contests back in popularity.  It is not an easy task 
as the pool of operators has shrunk as old and experienced VHFers pass 
on. No one takes their place. That also has to change or we are doomed.  
K1PXE had a good take on that problem. We need younger hams interested 
in VHF.

I ended up with 50 QSOs in 23 grids. I almost had  24 grids as I came 
awful close to completing a meteor scatter QSO with K9MRI at the end of 
the evening.  Joe needed only a final RR from me, but it did not happen. 
I figure that another two or three minutes and it would have worked.   
Other good QSOs were made with the same folks who can always be worked 
on CW at the extreme distances. VE3ZV EN92 752 km  55 on SSB, W8ZN FM09  
785 km 539 CW,  WA3EOQ FM09  805 km (very weak on CW)   I had some good 
results with the rising Moon. It rose at 23:00 in Maine and was coming 
up across the country as the Sprint went along.  I caught W5EME with his 
single yagi in Louisiana and EM32 on his Moonrise. That was easy. He was 
actually quite loud!   WQ5S also heard me well in EM13, but I was not 
hearing him. Other contacts were made with W7JW and K3SK in EN82 and 
FM07.  I did not experience any enhancement out to the West. The RI and 
Cape Cod stations were quite loud, but no other good conditions arose 
for us here in the Northlands.

A look at the missed grids is very disappointing. To my NE I only nabbed 
FN54 and 53 with K1DY and K1HC.  To my SW I missed FN24, FN23, FN21, 
FN15,FN14, FN11, FN10, FN02, FN01, FN00, & FM28 among others.  Throw in 
the empty grids to my NE and there were about 30+ grids easily available 
with any station who would go there.  I am hoping to help improve things 
by sending a complete 222 MHz station to some deserving VE1 amateur. The 
problem is that no one wants it up there. I am still looking.

How about a contest with FT8 allowed but worth 25% of a SSB or CW 
contact. That would make FT8 good for adding grids but terrible for 
adding QSOs.  All regular activity would be on voice.  Some elusive DX 
could be FT8. Then throw in activity periods that will discourage 
running the bands.   I am not sure how to implement that, but a complete 
re write of rules seems necessary. Some HF contests limit band changes. 
A similar rule could be employed in VHF contests. Say that once you make 
a band change, you have to stay on that band for one or two hours. Such 
a rule would apply to single operators and not multi operators or 
Rovers.   Such a rule change would discourage running the bands. It 
would also make having activity hours a viable way to achieve a maximum 
contact rate and make things exciting in areas with some activity.. 
Remember that there are 33 hours available.  Software would be required 
to check the logs.   Remember that areas of the country with almost no 
activity get their bread buttered by having rovers trying to cover as 
many grids as is humanly possible. They all work the same few stations 
in a Bazillion grids. It is called "Run 'N Gun". Rovers would have to be 
able to contact single op stations on all their bands in a short time, 
so they can move on to their next spot. It does get complicated. One 
problem is determining who is a multi muti and who is a single op.  
Rovers all sign /R so that can be determined.  Do multis become /M? 
Anyway this is all food for thought and off the top of my head. One 
problem in the June contest is that no one would get off 50 MHz in hopes 
that it might open up. More thought is needed.