The ARRL 2022 June VHF Contest Expanded Results article is now posted on the Leagues website. The article is 12 pages long and contains some interesting data, graphs, and analysis. Here are some of my comments I had while reading it, ymmv.
- Not unexpectedly, the June contest is the "6m contest". This year we had good Es on both Saturday and especially again on Sunday.
- 2022 had the second highest number of logs submitted, seconded only by COVID year 2020. No doubt good Es plays into the number of logs received for any given year.
- This was the first contest that offered the Analog Only subclasses for the high/low power SO and SO3B categories. The SO3B category grew by 28% compared to 2021.
- Some of the interesting data appears on page two where two graphs appear, one that shows the number of 6m QSOs made per hour while the second graph below it shows the modulation mode used (phone vs digital vs cw). You need to stare at these two graphs for a while, but you can see that when the band is not open that the "few" Qs that are being made are made mostly on digital while when the band is hot that the "analog" modes (PH/CW) come into play. During peak hours on Sunday about 60% of all Qs were being made on PH/CW. One conclusion that could be drawn is that VHF operators are continuing to learn with our new digital modes that when the band is hot that SSB/CW is that place to be. That, along with knowing that there are now Analog Only stations to work by moving from digital to SSB/CW. At the same time, when the bands are cold, when there is no propagation, the weak signal capability of digital shows.
- Compared to 2021 we continue to see a slow rise in the percentage of 2, 222, and 432 Qs being made on digital.
- And now some more on results. A tip of the hat goes to the following NLRS club members:
- KAØPQW for his 2nd place in the Nation in the SOLP Analog Only category.
- W0UC for his 2nd place in the Nation in the SOHP Analog Only category.
- AC0RA for their 4th place in the Nation in the SOM Low Power category.
- The dynamic duo of KC0P/R and N0HZO/R for their 6th and 7th place in the Nation in the Rover Unlimited category
- The following club members top Dakota Division finishes:
- N0SPN/R in the Limited Rover category
- KC0P/R in the Unlimited Rover category
- W0ZQ in the SOHP category
- W0VTT in the SOHP Analog Only category
- KAØPQW in the SOLP analog Only category
- N0SUW in the SOP category
- KA0CRO in the SOP Analog Only category
- K0VG in the SO3B category
- ACØRA in the Limited MO category
- The NLRS for finishing in 5th place out of 51 clubs in the Medium Club category.
73, Jon
W0ZQ