I was curious as to the effect on 1.35M (222MHz) QSOs of the new Limited Rover
rule that stipulates that 6M, 2M, 1.35M and 0.7M be used as the Limited
Rover's 4 bands:
222 MHz QSOs from Rovers in June VHF Contest
Year total Classic Limited Unlimited
2009 1406 883 414 109
2008 1257 965 95 197
2007 1613 1613
2006 1627 1627
2005 1582 1582
2004 2217 2217
2003 1575 1575
2002 1634 1634
I was pleasantly surprised that the total number of 222MHz QSOs due to Rovers
increased from 2008 to 2009, and that increase was solely due to the Limited
Rovers. To see how that compared to a "normal" year, I looked at 222 MHz QSOs
from previous year's contests. I was surprised that the number of 222 MHz QSOs
dropped significantly when the new Rover categories were introduced in 2008!
The number of 222 MHz QSOS by Rovers had held remarkably steady at about 1600
(except for 2004) for the 6 years (all the data that is posted on the ARRL web
site) previous to the new Rover categories in 2008.
I am not sure what all this means. I am not too surprised that the number of
222 MHz QSOs due to Rovers held steady in previous years, as the number of
Rover entries during this time did not vary much. I originally thought that the
drop in 2008 was due to the great Sporadic E that year, but that did not hold
up in previous years when there was good Sporadic E.
Does anyone have an idea of why the 222MHz activity was so high in 2004? It
seemed like a rather normal contest in respect to participation and presence of
Sporadic E. It was the year that N6NB/r, N6VI/r, and N6MU/r roved and grid
circled in the high plains and racked up over 500 222 MHz QSOs between them, so
that may have contributed to the large number of 222 MHz QSOs that year.
We need more 222 mHz activity in the VHF contests though, and it looks like the
new Rover rules have decreased the number of 222 MHz QSOs generated. That, I
think, is not good for the contest. - Duffey
--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM
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