I was with you right up to the "reset to zero" part. I have 90 something grids
on 2m, and if I had to restart at zero for this, well, that's not happening
here.
73, Drew KO4MA
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 19, 2013, at 10:23 AM, Les Rayburn <les@highnoonfilm.com> wrote:
> Several amateurs have written to tell me that they are reaching out to their
> ARRL Division Directors and endorsing the idea of a Five Band VHF-UHF Century
> Club Award. My hope is
> that VHF Associations such as the SEVHFS, Central States, AMSAT, etc. would
> also endorse the proposal.
>
> Some more clarification on my suggestion to create a Five Band VHF-UHF
> Century Club Award:
>
> The main purpose of the award is to increase on-air activity both during
> contests and band openings. It would also spur activity on linear satellites,
> and hopefully encourage more weak signal operators to
> try satellite operation.
>
> There are more than a few operators who have already achieved VUCC on
> multiple bands,
> and worked a lot of grids during their careers. Some of these stations now
> only get on for contests, and largely ignore band openings and day to day
> operation. The award is an incentive for
> these stations to return to the air since it resets everyone's score card to
> zero.
>
> My other hope is that the award will help to elevate the status of the VUCC
> Award overall, and encourage more operators to get involved in VHF DXing.
>
> 1.) A requirement to include at least one of the lower VHF bands such as 6
> Meters, 2 Meters, or 222 to prevent someone from simply going out with
> microwave gear and earning the award
> in a weekend. Personally, I would favor 2 Meters as a requirement since this
> is perhaps the most difficult of the VUCC Awards to achieve and would insure
> the most on-air activity.
>
> 2.) By making the award a Five Band award, you insure that at least one
> microwave band will be required to earn the award, thus increasing
> participation on the Microwave bands. (Technically, this
> could be avoided by earning one for Satellite operation and then 902, but you
> get the point)
>
> 3.) Satellite VUCC has been available since the award was created. It would
> remain one of the options for earning the award and qualify as a "band" for
> that purpose. Anyone who thinks Satellite work
> isn't weak signal doesn't operate satellites.
>
> 4.) Resetting everyone to zero has no bearing on past VUCC award credit, FEMA
> credit, or your bragging rights. It just helps to get people out of their
> chair during the NFL Championship game and back
> onto the air. It also simplifies the programming requirements for Logbook of
> the World in implementing the new award, and makes it faster for the ARRL to
> implement the new award.
>
> 5.) Endorsements for modes such as CW, digital, EME, etc. would certainly be
> a good option. If anyone could earn this award on a single mode or type of
> propagation my hat would really be off to you!
> More likely would be endorsements for other bands, so you could have a eight
> band VUCC, etc.
>
> To work the award would need a lot of Public Relations support from the ARRL
> to promote it, and build it's prestige among amateurs. Sean are you
> listening? (ha, ha) VUCC has always suffered
> an identity crisis among hams, and been viewed as the "little brother" to the
> DXCC. The Fred Fish Memorial Award seems to have avoided that problem, and is
> coveted by operators.
>
> Have you checked the total number of VUCC Awarded once you exclude 6 Meters?
> It's amazingly small on some bands---proof positive that even VHF Operators
> don't always consider VUCC as
> a goal. Changing the perception of the award will be an important job for the
> league and VHF associations.
>
>
> --
> --
> 73,
>
> Les Rayburn, N1LF
> 121 Mayfair Park
> Maylene, AL 35114
> EM63nf
>
> 6M VUCC #1712
> AMSAT #38965
> Grid Bandits #222
> Southeastern VHF Society
> Central States VHF Society Life Member
> Six Club #2484
>
> Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz & Light
>
> _______________________________________________
> VHFcontesting mailing list
> VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
|