Why can't we just keep the 3 contests at the same dates but make them 48
hrs like HF contests and make the first 24hrs analog and the 2nd 24hrs
digital with the ability to work folks on both modes. Start the contest at
0000 UTC Saturday and end it at 0000 Monday. This gives both modes evening,
morning and midday for the best propagation and ending at 0000 the poor
stiffs that have to go to work the next day are staying up until 11PM (east
coast). They can be scored and awarded any way the ARRL wants.
Terry Price - W8ZN
Directive Systems and Engineering
703-754-3876
On Sun, Jan 12, 2025 at 4:09 PM Paul Bourque <pbourque@gmail.com> wrote:
> I’m not speaking in any official capacity as the ARRL Contest Manager, but
> I wanted to add my 2 cents. The VHF contesting community is a very small
> subset of active hams, and segregating the SSB/CW operators from the
> digital operators is not a good idea. My personal opinion is that It will
> make the activity level in the analog weekends just abysmal (as if it isn’t
> already.)
>
> The digital operators should be encouraged to ALSO operate in contests
> using the analog modes, not just be given their own sandbox to play in. We
> need to find a way to make all modes be enjoyable for all participants.
>
> Secondly, are big multiop stations like W2SZ going to want to set up their
> stations on 2 weekends in June and September? That’s a lot of effort and
> manpower. Let’s face it, we’re all not getting any younger! I know I
> wouldn’t want twice the work in each of those contests. For that matter,
> will a bigger fixed station like K1TEO or W8ZN want to be on the air in 2
> separate weekends in both January, June and September? (Jeff and Terry-
> will you?)
>
> When will we schedule these separate contests? Look at WA7BMN’s Contest
> Calendar and see just how packed every month is.
>
> I for one think we should allow contacts on SSB/CW and digital to count for
> points, not just one contact per station per band.
>
> I was introduced to VHF contesting in the mid 90’s and loved it. I have a
> lot more fun in VHF contests on the voice modes, and further reduction in
> analog activity will likely see me participating less and less.
>
> As a low power operator who has to set up at locations not at home, I find
> it way too much effort to set up 4 bands to only make a handful of contacts
> on phone. It’s getting to be just too much work for such little gain.
>
> For example, I’ll likely not be participating in January VHF because I find
> NAQP SSB way more fun, and I can do it from my shack and not freeze on some
> hilltop somewhere.
>
> I’d personally like to see how the activity plays out in CQ VHF this year
> with the split mode contests before just making a knee-jerk reaction and
> changing the ARRL events. Additionally, the CQ contests have also changed
> the start time, and made it a 24 hour contest, which I think is a bad idea,
> especially for a “worldwide” contest.
>
> Again, the views expressed in this email are those of my own, and not of my
> employer.
>
> 73,
> Paul N1SFE
>
> On Sun, Jan 12, 2025 at 3:00 PM Bob Bownes <bownes@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > My knee-jerk reaction is that asking to split our three major contest
> into
> > six will not be received well by the league as it doubles the workload.
> But
> > it’s worth putting on the table.
> >
> > > On Jan 12, 2025, at 13:44, CHRIS FAGAS via NEWSVHF <
> > newsvhf@mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > Further to our January 4th meeting where we discussed the ongoing
> > Analog/Digital challenge to VHF Contests, I just noticed that the 2025 CQ
> > World Wide VHF Contest has just been SPLIT into two (2) separate
> Contests.
> > The ANALOG (SSB/CW) VHF Contest will be July 5/6, 2025, and the DIGITAL
> > (FT-x) VHF Contest will be July 19/20, 2025. Furthermore, CQ has
> > additionally published the future dates for their now two (2) annual VHF
> > Contests in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
> > >
> > > https://cqww-vhf.com/;
> > >
> > > As we consider alternative approaches for bringing back activity to the
> > Analog modes for the three (3) ARRL VHF Contests, what CQ has done with
> > their VHF Contest is a very good data point, and an example that should
> be
> > referenced in our own recommendation. In my personal opinion, making the
> > three (3) annual ARRL VHF Contests into six (6) annual ARRL VHF Contests,
> > where Digital Ops can maintain three per year and Analog Ops can maintain
> > three per year, might be the most compelling solution. To be sure, it
> gets
> > us out of cherry picking whether January, June, or September should
> change,
> > and then how it should change.
> > > 73, Chris WB2VVV
> > > ______________________________________________________________
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