[NLRS] VHF contesting surveys...roving (rovering :-) )

[Bruce Richardson]

Say,

In my free text comments, I complimented the Membership Services Committee
for making this survey.  This is what they should have done a long time ago.
I think they are asking the right questions.

Hehehehe, kinda a blast from the past--if you think the "old" rover rules
reinforced better the behavior of rovers activating rarer grids, and if you
think that behavior serves a benefit for all, this survey is the best time
to share that view.  I'm of the opinion that current rules reinforce
behaviors
that favor roves close to populations centers seeking high QSO volume.  Do I
think things will change?  No, but this survey is the best way to share my
opinion.  By the way, neither old or new rules dissuade "grid circling" or
"dog packing" behavior.  While I don't think that behavior helps our fixed
stations very much, I can't think of a way to prohibit the behavior without
impacting other good rover behaviors.  So I don't worry about prohibiting it
anymore.  To each their own.  And yes, I did
"grid circling" once--not as rewarding as the alternative.

I also commented that I don't think the Contest Advisory Committee system
works very well.  We VHF'ers have occasionally gotten worked up over various
issues and neither the Contest Advisory Committee nor the ARRL Mem Services
Committee seemed to listen or change--until this survey.  Until this survey,
we were supposed to contact our one Division Contest Advisory Committee
member and vent our steam.  Frequently, but not always, this Contest
Advisory Committee member was HF contesting oriented.  Our concerns would be
heard and that's where it would end.  The other sad thing is that in the
past, the Contest Advisory Committee has made strong recommendations to the
Membership Services Committee which were then ignored.  I know, the world is
not perfect.  Let's hope that by this survey good changes for the betterment
of VHF/UHF contesting occur.

I must admit that I'm at a bit of a loss on how to draw in new members to
VHF Contesting.  If I was sitting there as a new ham and not under the
influence of an active club that exposed me to new things, I don't know how
the bug would bite.  I think we are doing the right thing in this town via
the NLRS webpage, nets, breakfasts, and Aurora to help spread our enthusiasm
to whoever might bite.  I think it was articles in QST back in 87-89 that
drew me in--and the scores in QST :-)

Lastly, if you think a particular contests rules need to be clarified or
rewritten (such as 10GHz :-) ) now is the time to make your request.

If some of you have some good ideas on attracting new hams to VHF contests
or the VUCC program, let me know via the reflector.  It should make for an
interesting discussion and perhaps I can get behind some of your suggestions
and include them in my survey.


Bruce Richardson - W9FZ

Thanks for coming to the Milwaukee CSVHFS conference.  See you in Tulsa in
'03 http://www.csvhfs.org