[NLRS] NLRS Discussion - Promotion of Rovermania & Limited RoverCategory

[Tod-ID]

Good Idea Jon:

Tod, K0TO 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: jcplatt1 at mmm.com [mailto:jcplatt1 at mmm.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 10:24 AM
> To: nlrs at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [NLRS] NLRS Discussion - Promotion of Rovermania & 
> Limited RoverCategory
> 
> 
> 
> Hello NLRS land.
> 
> I will try to keep this as note as short as I can.   Many of you may
> remember how the ARRL UHF contest was on the brink of 
> extinction, but in part through the efforts of the NLRS (and 
> surrounding clubs), through the
> creation of Rovermania, that we have shown positive growth.   
>  I am not
> going to bore you with data .... the data is there for those 
> whom may challenge this position so please go look for 
> yourself before you ask any
> questions.    A big part of this growth, and oh ya, fun, has 
> been because
> of the rovers.    We all know that roving makes ANY contest 
> more fun as it
> breeds activity.   This is a subject that I could go on about 
> for hours,
> but oh ya, I'm trying to keep this short !    Bottomline is 
> that we need to
> encourage roving.
> 
> How do we encourage roving?    What makes a rover rove ?      
> There are
> many reasons .... again, far to many to get into in this short email.
> However, one of those reasons is recognition and "winning".   
>   However,
> can a new rover, a newbie, perhaps one with few bands, really 
> expect to win
> ?     I have reviewed the ARRLs UHF contest data from 2002 to 
> 2005 looking
> at the highest rover finish versus the number of bands that a 
> rover may
> have.    From 20002 to 2005, the highest placed finish for a 
> rover that has
> three bands or less is ninth place, yet this same group 
> represented 35% of
> ALL rovers.   Slightly more than 1/3 of all the rovers that 
> we want/need to
> rove have absolutely no chance to win.     The result is that 
> its difficult
> to entice a newer rover, perhaps one with three bands or 
> less, to rove knowing that they will get trounced by rovers 
> with many more bands .....
> why try ?
> 
> Given that as the background, here is my proposal.    I would 
> like to see
> the NLRS sponsor a first place and a second place plaque for 
> the ARRL UHF
> contest (Rovermania) in the Limited Rover category.   The 
> Limited Rover
> category is OUR design and OUR definition.     This award 
> would be given by
> the NLRS nationally, not just to a NLRS club member (unless 
> of course they
> win !).    The generalized rules, to be fully defined with the full
> proposal that will follow and based on your inputs & 
> comments, would be:
>    That you must have submitted a log to the ARRL for the UHF contest.
>    The 1st and 2nd place winners would be determined by the 
> data in the
>    ARRLs Scores Database.   No extra submission by anyone is required.
>    The full ARRL UHF contest rules apply.
>    The Limited Rover shall operate with no more than three 
> bands of their
>    choosing.
>    That the winners shall have demonstrated fair Rovermania 
> practices by
>    not overtly grid circling and not roving in packs.   
> Application of this
>    rule would be at the discretion of the club's officers (Pres, VP,
>    Secretary/Treasurer) and who's decision is final.
> 
> I anticipate that our annual NLRS club expenditure for this 
> award would be
> $75 (estimated cost for two plaques).    My motion would 
> include this as
> the cost ceiling (ie; ".... not to exceed $75 .... ").
> 
> Following our  interclub discussion on this, and assuming its 
> a GO,  I would like to then use this NLRS sponsored Limited 
> Rover award as an
> opening to approach all VHF clubs nationally.    We would use 
> this award
> (Limited Rover Award) as a way to continue growth through 
> encouraging the smaller and potentially newbie rover as well 
> as to energize and mobilize local clubs.
> 
> Comments & discussion welcomed.
> 
> 73, Jon
> W0ZQ
> 
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