My experience shows that the microwave contacts are actually harder. It
may not be the case at grid corners, but over any appreciable
difference, it is more difficult. It is much easier to pump out the
QSOs on 6 or 2 than to set up the narrow beam on the microwave bands.
The additional points probably don't completely compensate for the
additional time required.
The whole purpose of the VHF contests is to encourage activity on all of
the upper ham bands. From feedline loss to equipment construction to
antenna precision, the degree of difficulty is greater on the microwave
bands. If the scoring was to reflect that, it would look something
like this 6M, 1point (in June 0.1point); 2M, 432, 1point; 1296 2points;
222, 1296 3points; 2304 - 10000 4 points; 24GHz 8points; above 10 points.
Sure commercial gear is available, but usually not on a ham budget. If
I had a $100k I could set up a killer station using commercial gear.
Erich, N6FD
Usually QRP Portable from DM15
James Duffey wrote:
> In all this ado about KB6TOA winning the limited rover class no one
> has recognized that the rules that give microwave QSOs 4 points played
> as much a role as grid squaring did in his winning the limited rover
> class as did.
>
> If the microwave QSOs had counted a point a piece, like second place
> W3DHJ's 6M and 2M QSOs, he would have placed 3rd with 24,332 points,
> behind K4GUN and I suspect that we would not see the complaints about
> grid squaring that we have seen on the list.
>
> Others have complained outside the context of grid squaring that the
> extra microwave points essentially turn the VHF contests into
> microwave contests and one needs as many bands, preferably microwave,
> to compete successfully in the VHF contests. Thus the issue extends
> beyond the rover class. One can argue that the extra point incentive
> to get on additional bands is not really needed as one can get on 432
> MHz and 1296 MHz as easy as one can get on 6M and 2M, and it is not
> too much harder to get on the microwave bands up to 3 cm with
> commercially available assembled equipment. - Duffey
>
>
> --
> KK6MC
> James Duffey
> Cedar Crest NM
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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
|