Hello all,
I must disagree with most of the comments that I've seen on this
reflector regarding HSCW and WSJT in VHF contests. The use of
HSCW (and in the future, WSJT) in the contests doesn't detract
from my interest in VHF contesting, but adds to it.
Here's the way I look at it. First, the only way my station (as
a limited multi-op) sitting here in South Dakota can compete in
the VHF contests is by running up relatively large grid square
totals. During a typical June contest, roughly 15 percent of the
stations we work on 2m are within 200 miles. We just don't have
the population base to make a lot of QSO's on the VHF bands, so
we try for grids. So late at night and during the early morning
hours someone is up running schedules on 2m HSCW (and WSJT in the
future). If we can't run meteor scatter, the 2m station might
as well shut down at midnight and not bother to get back on until
8 AM Sunday. For us, HSCW and WSJT increase the activity level,
and are primarily a late night activity -- they don't cut into
daytime activity levels.
Secondly, I see that most of the anti-HSCW/WSJT comments are from
people who haven't actually operated those modes. Contrary to what
seems to be popular opinion, the operator doesn't just sit there
while the computer racks up the QSO's. This is particularly the
case for HSCW, but also true for WSJT.
Third -- if HSCW/WSJT contacts are somehow less "pure" than regular
CW and SSB QSO's, then I hope the folks that want to ban HSCW/WSJT
will also be at the forefront in calling for the banning of computer-
ized logging, sending/receiving CW with the computer, using digital
voice keyers, or using the computer for the calculation of bearings,
moonrise, etc. After all, REAL contesters still use paper dupe
sheets, don't they? And they certainly don't use partial super
check.
And fourth, what really hurt VHF contest activity in the upper mid-
west and Rocky Mountain areas was when the ARRL changed the rover
rules several years ago. There has been a bit of a rebound in rover
activity recently, but in general there is zero activity in the grids
to my west unless we send one of our own crew out there to activate
those areas. The point is that when you make rule changes that
discourage the operators in the less populated areas, they just quit
getting on for the contests.
73, Arliss W7XU
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