A great idea Ron and while you are at it, contact your VUAC representative
and let him know your thoughts. I am the Southeastern Division
representative on the VUAC and I almost NEVER get any input on these issues
except maybe one or twice a year when I am at Dayton or a conference. When
the VUAC vote on the assisted class in EME contests was taken I abstained
because I got zero input on this topic after I asked for input.
73
Jim, W4KXY
It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart
you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.
Richard P. Feynman
-----Original Message-----
From: Rogers, Ron [mailto:RR124640@ncr.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 12:06 PM
To: Paul Kiesel; vhfcontesting@contesting.com; frank bechdoldt
Subject: RE: [VHFcontesting] Whats up with the ARRL?
This weekend is the famous Huntsville Hamfest and Alabama ARRL Convention.
Southeastern Division Director, Greg Sarratt (W4OZK) will be in attendance.
Greg is a strong VHF-UHF-Micro contest enthusiast, holds VUCC on 50 & 144
MHZ, and is now an ARRL PSC member.
At the June Atlanta Hamfest when Greg was manning the ARRL booth, I took
the time to discuss (and somewhat vent) with Greg about recent VUAC
recommendations to the PSC and the apparent "Maverick" image of the PSC that
has surfaced in the VHF-UHF community.
I encourage all ARRL members going to the Huntsville Hamfest that have a
stake in (or a detailed issue with) these discussions around
VHF-UHF-Micro-EME competitions to stop by the ARRL booth and introduce
yourself to Greg and chat with him a few minutes about the PSC activities
influencing these competitions.
Don't just approach and "attack" or just ramble on about the PSC, but have
your facts in order so you can detail your specific issue to Greg.
Ron
WW8RR
W4NH Contest Group
-----Original Message-----
From: vhfcontesting-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Paul Kiesel
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 1:03 PM
To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com; frank bechdoldt
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Whats up with the ARRL?
The Programs and Services Committee has a lot of stuff on their plate. Most
of it's members are not knowledgible about the VHF weak signal world, but
they want to help. Hence, they created the VUAC, whose members have their
own individual biases and specific lack of knowledge and/or experience.
Recommendations from the VUAC are certain to be weighted by their own
biases. Beyond that, I think that there is an ongoing "need to have contests
run like on HF" mentality and pressure being pushed on ARRL officials by
those who should have no say, such as contest log scoring volunteers, as an
example. Officials in the ARRL rely on these volunteers to take care of a
lot of work that needs to be done and must be grant them listening time.
There is also a large lobby from many old corp EMEers who have influence by
virtue of past contributions to amateur radio and the League.
So, it's not just a matter of the League officials not doing their job. It's
more complicated than that. People on the PSC have indicated that they will
be open to input regarding this "no assisted" rule. The doors haven't been
locked on this.
Something might be said for pushing for change, but this kind of activism is
unwarranted. Pushing to have people boycott contests is not called for.
73,
Paul, K7CW
--- On Sun, 8/9/09, frank bechdoldt <k3uhf@hotmail.com> wrote:
From: frank bechdoldt <k3uhf@hotmail.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Whats up with the ARRL?
To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2009, 9:04 AM
Though I generally try to encourage vhf activity, it seems that it may be a
time to make a statement to the ARRL. Marshall suggested sending in empty
logs in response to the EME rule change. I am not versed well in EME but I
think he has a point. Un assisted may be the ultimate goal, and it is
definitely more of a challenge, but the assisted should be there to help
those to the ultimate goal if they can ever reach it. Compare it to golf,
most of us will never be pros, but we still enjoy the game as an amateur or
with a handicap. It seems that the ARRL has wiped out the amateur and the
Handicaps in this arena.
This strikes me as odd considering how they have reached out to encourage
growth in other VHF contests such as the rover category. Its my opinion
that they botched up roving as well and tried to fix it with a band aid
when it needed a major overhaul. That being said, at least the effort was
there to encourage participation even if the PSC chose to ignore some of
the suggestions of the VUAC.
In comparison to that debacle, it seems that the ARRL went the other way
with the EME contests. This shows a total lack of direction from the ARRL.
It also demonstrates that they are no better then a boat with no sail or
engine and they will simply go where the winds and currents of politics go.
This leads me to believe that the ARRL contests are fundamentally flawed and
lack any serious sense of purpose or vision. I believe in some cases like
grid circling on microwave bands they are only manufactured short range
QSOs to justify the monopolization of otherwise unused spectrum and this is
why the ARRl allows it to continue. Its time we took a honest look at
ourselves as amateur radio operators. We have a long history of giving to
the human race in various ways. But we get down right mad if they threaten
to take away some spectrum way up in the microwaves that we will never use
more than a few MHZ of. If that technology can be put to better use then we
should give it up.
Or better yet, maybe its time to find a better way to use that spectrum
ourselves and seek to redefine our licenses as to help more people. We have
let the confines of our licenses let technology pass us by and we are
becoming irrelevant unless a natural disaster hits. I challenge the ARRL to
do something useful and to lobby for a redefinition of our privileges on the
microwave bands. One idea ; Let Amateurs set up moderate powered wireless
network nodes in our spectrum above 2.4 ghz and let non hams buy equipment
to connect to them. Imagine a more free internet using ham technology.
There has to be better ideas than this. If we are to continue we must make
ourselves relevant.
All of this shows that I think the ARRL is lost. The contest system is
seriously flawed. It can never be perfect but the way they run it is half
hearted and subject to too much politics and lacks any vision or sense of
direction. The things that some of us do to get the little pieces of paper
are sometimes ludicrous and the fact that there is no real tangible standard
makes them somewhat meaning less.
If there was a way to recall the PSC I would do it. For now I agree with
Marshall, if you are alienated due to the lack common sense in the rules
just send in an empty log. Do the contest and work towards your VUCC. At
least there is a sense of direction with that award and a definite standard
and the politics behind it are laid to rest.
k3uhf
_________________________________________________________________
Get free photo software from Windows Live
http://www.windowslive.com/online/photos?ocid=PID23393::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-U
S:SI_PH_software:082009
_______________________________________________
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
_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
|