[Laser] Fw: [NEWSVHF] ARRL VHF+ contest proposals: input invited
GeoffK
[email protected]
Mon, 23 Feb 2004 22:30:49 -0500
It is not in QST, but was sent to only a few e-mail outlets; after many
months of closed discussion a bunch of mainly-non-Microwavers now propose
as follows (note the whole 2 weeks given for response)!!!
> Subject: [VHF] ARRL VHF+ contest proposals:> To VHF+ contesters:
>
> For the last year or so the ARRL has been studying ways to increase
> interest and participation in VHF+ contests (and awards). It was a good
> sign that participation was up in last June's VHF QSO Party, and we're
> looking to encourage more participation, especially those who have
> multi-band transceivers.
>
> Our recommendations had several basic goals. Changes to the contest
rules
> and awards programs should:
> 1) encourage more people to work more other people
> 2) encourage QSOs made over longer distances
> 3) encourage more people to join in and participate
>
> Major recommendations
> 1) Changes in the rover rules
> 2) QSO point changes
> 3) June VHF QSO Party 50-1296 only
> 4) New categories in Jan/Jun/Sept
> 5) Expanded Microwave contest based on 10 GHz Cumulative - UHF
> contest dropped.
>
> These major recommendations, and a number of minor ones, are still just
> recommendations. We felt it would be important to have further input from
> the VHF+ contest community at this point.
>
> After you've had a chance to read through and think about the proposed
> changes, we'd like to hear from you. Please send any comments to
> [email protected] - we'd like to have your input by March 7th.
>
>
> January VHF SS and June/September VHF QSO Parties
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
>
> 1) Change Rover Rules
>
> After considerable discussion about the impact of the present rover rules
> and comments from both rovers and non-rovers, we have recommended
reverting
> to the rover scoring rules originally established in 1991. The text of
the
> original rule is "The final score consists of the total number of QSO
> points from all bands times the total number of multipliers from all grid
> squares in which they operated." This change would encourage rovers to
go
> to rarer and more distant grids instead of staying closer to metropolitan
> areas.
>
> Because rover scores can be so large under the original rover scoring
> rules, they can distort the club competition scores. To solve this major
> problem with the original rules, we propose that rover station scores
> should not be counted towards club competition scores. Rovers would
> continue to contribute substantially to increasing the scores of club
> members by providing numerous QSO points and activating new grids.
>
> Finally, we believe it is time to be more definitive and state
> unequivocally that grid circling and captive roving are highly undesirable
> practices and that no rover station should engage in them. We recognize
> that due to the great disparities in population and geography, hard and
> fast analytical tests for these activities may not be possible but both
> these practices are well understood.
>
> Grid circling has been observed quite clearly under both the original and
> present rover rules two or more rovers congregate at the intersection of
> four grid squares and then circle each other around that corner making
> short distance QSOs with each other. Operating practices that look like
> grid circling are easy to detect and will result in review of the log by
> the contest managers.
>
> The term "captive rover" refers to stations whose primary activity is to
> increase the score of one fixed station either single operator or
> multi-operator, and who never, or seldom, work anyone else in the
> contest. These may or may not be people who are part of the same team or
> group. Again, this is easy to detect during the log checking process and
> will attract the attention of the contest manager.
>
> 2) QSO Point changes
>
> The current rules provide for increasing QSO points as contacts are made
on
> higher bands plus additional multipliers on each band for each new
> grid. We propose to change the values for QSO points for all three
> contests. Regardless of band you would receive two points for QSOs with
> your own grid and any adjacent grid, and three points for each QSO beyond
> that. QSOs with rover stations would count one QSO point each, regardless
> of distance.
>
> This change would reward those who can make more distant QSOs, and it
would
> make a volume of short range microwave QSOs somewhat less critical to the
> final score although microwave grid multipliers would still be crucial to
> an all band entry. It would also tend to make QSOs with casual
> participants and newcomers more appealing than constantly running from
band
> to band.
>
> 3) June VHF QSO Party 50-1296 MHz only
>
> It seemed to us that at least one of the "big three" VHF+ contests ought
to
> emphasize the VHF bands. We thus recommend that the June VHF QSO Party be
> limited to 50-1296 MHz only. June is often the time for sporadic E
> openings on 6 meters - as was the case in 2003. We would discontinue the
> Limited Multi category in the June VHF QSO Party only.
>
> 4) New categories in Jan/Jun/Sept
>
> Getting started in VHF+ contesting can be a bit daunting, and we wanted to
> find ways to attract the many people who have purchased multi-band
> transceivers that include VHF bands like the IC-706 and others.
>
> We recommend the establishment of a new Limited Single Operator category
> designed with the newcomer in mind - 50-144-432 MHz only, with low power
> operation only. For those who are "real estate challenged" because of
> antenna restrictions or topography, we also recommend a new 6-hour QRP
> Hilltopper category. This latter category should also be appealing to
> QRPers with radios like the FT817, one of the more rapidly growing
segments
> in Amateur Radio.
>
> 5) Other recommended changes (Jan/Jun/Sept)
>
> a) Simplify the limit for low power operation to 150w for
> 50-144-222-432 MHz.
> b) Allow DX-to-DX contacts for QSO point and multiplier credit, but
> the DX station must make at least one QSO
> with W/VE on each band for which QSOs are submitted.
> c) Eliminate the rules that allow Multi-Operator stations to work
> their own operators on 2.3G and up.
> d) Offer plaques for the January and September contests, in addition
> to June. Work to find individual, club or corporate
> sponsors. Otherwise offer plaques to national and regional
> leaders at cost.
> e) Make sure the rules indicate certificates are awarded for low
power
> entries in January, and for top DX entries.
> f) Resume promoting suggested times and frequencies for "activity
> hours" on each band.
>
>
> New Microwave contest based on 10 GHz Cumulative - UHF contest dropped
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------
>
> We recommend expanding the format of the successful 10G and Up microwave
> contest and expand it to cover from 2.3 GHz and up. The August UHF
> Contest would be discontinued after 2004. It never reached a critical
mass
> of support and entries.
>
> 1) Add one more weekend in April or May to the existing two-weekend
> cumulative contest.
> 2) Include 2.3G, 3.4G and 5.7G bands.
> 3) Have four basic categories - 2.4/3.4/5.7G, 10G only, 10G and up,
> and all band (2.4G and up). Each major category would
> include portable and home-based categories.
> 4) Perhaps call them the X-band contests to increase interest.
>
>
> EME Contest
> -----------------
>
> 1) The Contest department should work to establish the dates for the
> EME contest weekends as early as possible,
> and include them with the contest calendar as the yearly
> summary is released.
> 2) Change the multiplier to include US states and Canadian provinces
> instead of call areas. The report remains the signal report.
> 3) Drop the requirement that stations operating outside of their
> traditional call area sign with a portable designation.
>
>
> Changes Already Implemented
> -------------------------------------
>
> 1) Allow digital QSOs in the EME contest. Implemented for 2003
contest.
> 2) Work to establish an Internet template for entry of small and
> medium sized logs. Implemented in January 2004.
> 3) Add a club competition to the June VHF QSO Party. Implemented for
> 2003 contest.
> 4) Work to find good authors and to encourage more regional reporting
> of VHF+ contest results. This had been in place for more
> than a year now. Staff is working hard to identify
authors
> and would welcome volunteers, particularly experienced contesters
> 5) Encourage Logbook of The World development to be supportive of
VHF+
> awards, like the VUCC. Implemented in September 2003.
> 6) Encourage more activity by developing a high-quality grid square
> map of the United States. A very nice laminated, color grid
> square map covering North America was released in June
2003.
>
>
> Awards
> ----------
>
> 1) Change the entry-level steps for VHF+ awards so more people will
be
> able to get started in the VUCC, WAS and DXCC
> using VHF+ frequencies. Consider changing the steps for
> different level awards to a smaller increment.
> 2) Establish a VUCC challenge-type award, similar to the one used by
DXCC.
> 3) Create a new award or awards to appeal to entry-level or
> rover/portable operation, such as a grids activated or miles per
> watt award. Consider GCR certification rather than card
> checking.
> 4) For VUCC awards on 50 through 1296 MHz and Satellite, all contacts
> must be made from a location or locations within the
> same grid locator or locations in different grid locators
no
> more than 200 kilometers apart [the approximate distance between
> the corners of a grid square]. (Currently they have to be
> made from the same grid square or from distances no more than
> 50 miles apart.)
>
>
> How we got here
> ---------------------
>
> The number of logs submitted to ARRL VHF+ contests has been decreasing for
> several years and the perception is that activity is not increasing in
> spite of the advent of commercial HF/VHF/UHF radios. After a number of
> discussions, ARRL Board members voted (January 2002) to have the
Membership
> Services Committee review the existing VHF, UHF, and Microwave contest and
> awards programs and make recommendations on ways to increase interest and
> participation. The MSC established a subcommittee of K1KI N0AX W5ZN and
> N7NG.
>
> The early work included a survey in September 2002. The survey, intended
> as a way to gather ideas, not to measure exact opinion on issues, was a
> great success. Some 250 people provide valuable input. Initially, the
> subcommittee produced recommended changes for the VHF+ awards. That
> progress report was given at the January 2003 meeting of the MSC.
>
> At this point, to increase the expertise relating to the VHF+ contests it
> was recommended that the MSC-VHF subcommittee be expanded to include
> several knowledgeable VHF+ contesters. The subcommittee was expanded
(K1JX
> K2UA W3ZZ AA7A KM0T and N1ND were added) and started work in April. Over
> the past several months the original discussions were reviewed and new
> ideas culled from discussions with friends, from the major VHF+ reflectors
> and from participating in on the air contest activity lead to
modifications
> and new recommendations. The recommendations detailed above are the
result
> of this process.
>
> Again, we'd like to hear from you about the proposed changes. Please
> send any comments to [email protected] - we'd like to have
your
> input by March 7th.
>
> -- Tom Frenaye/K1KI
>
> MSC VHF-UHF Contest and Awards Subcommittee
>
> Tom Frenaye, K1KI, chairman
> Clarke Green, K1JX
> Joel Harrison, W5ZN
> Rus Healy, K2UA* (Atlantic Division Contest Advisory Committee member)
> Mike King, KM0T
> Wayne Mills, N7NG (Membership Services Department manager)
> Ward Silver, N0AX (Northwest Division CAC member)
> Ned Stearn, AA7A (Southwest Division CAC member)
> Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZ (also QST VHF column editor)
> Dan Henderson, N1ND (Contest Department manager)
> * unable to participate for the last few months
>
> =====
> e-mail: [email protected] ARRL New England Division
> Director http://www.arrl.org/
> Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444
>
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