Drew,
Ha, Ha.I hear you. I have 104 grids worked on 2 Meters, with about 83
confirmed. Working hard to confirm the rest, and thinking that it may
require setting up a portable digital EME operation from my
driveway to work enough new grids to complete the award.
But we're in the minority. Most active VHF operators (or at least the
ones interested in VUCC) have earned it on multiple bands already. If we
simply let them apply those credits to the new award, it
wouldn't generate a lot of new on-air activity.
The 5 Band VUCC Award would have no effect on the grids that you'd
already worked and confirmed towards 2 Meter VUCC under this proposal.
Plus it would be take quite awhile to get it up
and running, so you'd likely complete 2 M VUCC by then already.
Your comment does underscore Gene Zimmerman's assertion that 2 Meter
VUCC is one of the more difficult operating awards to achieve. I
certainly agree with him on that count. My hope is that
Five Band VUCC would nearly equal the challenge of FEMA, and generate
the same kind of interest.
73,
Les Rayburn, N1LF
On 6/19/2013 9:36 AM, Andrew Glasbrenner wrote:
I was with you right up to the "reset to zero" part. I have 90 something grids
on 2m, and if I had to restart at zero for this, well, that's not happening here.
73, Drew KO4MA
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 19, 2013, at 10:23 AM, Les Rayburn <les@highnoonfilm.com> wrote:
Several amateurs have written to tell me that they are reaching out to their
ARRL Division Directors and endorsing the idea of a Five Band VHF-UHF Century
Club Award. My hope is
that VHF Associations such as the SEVHFS, Central States, AMSAT, etc. would
also endorse the proposal.
Some more clarification on my suggestion to create a Five Band VHF-UHF Century
Club Award:
The main purpose of the award is to increase on-air activity both during
contests and band openings. It would also spur activity on linear satellites,
and hopefully encourage more weak signal operators to
try satellite operation.
There are more than a few operators who have already achieved VUCC on multiple
bands,
and worked a lot of grids during their careers. Some of these stations now only
get on for contests, and largely ignore band openings and day to day operation.
The award is an incentive for
these stations to return to the air since it resets everyone's score card to
zero.
My other hope is that the award will help to elevate the status of the VUCC
Award overall, and encourage more operators to get involved in VHF DXing.
1.) A requirement to include at least one of the lower VHF bands such as 6
Meters, 2 Meters, or 222 to prevent someone from simply going out with
microwave gear and earning the award
in a weekend. Personally, I would favor 2 Meters as a requirement since this is
perhaps the most difficult of the VUCC Awards to achieve and would insure the
most on-air activity.
2.) By making the award a Five Band award, you insure that at least one
microwave band will be required to earn the award, thus increasing
participation on the Microwave bands. (Technically, this
could be avoided by earning one for Satellite operation and then 902, but you
get the point)
3.) Satellite VUCC has been available since the award was created. It would remain one of
the options for earning the award and qualify as a "band" for that purpose.
Anyone who thinks Satellite work
isn't weak signal doesn't operate satellites.
4.) Resetting everyone to zero has no bearing on past VUCC award credit, FEMA
credit, or your bragging rights. It just helps to get people out of their chair
during the NFL Championship game and back
onto the air. It also simplifies the programming requirements for Logbook of
the World in implementing the new award, and makes it faster for the ARRL to
implement the new award.
5.) Endorsements for modes such as CW, digital, EME, etc. would certainly be a
good option. If anyone could earn this award on a single mode or type of
propagation my hat would really be off to you!
More likely would be endorsements for other bands, so you could have a eight
band VUCC, etc.
To work the award would need a lot of Public Relations support from the ARRL to
promote it, and build it's prestige among amateurs. Sean are you listening?
(ha, ha) VUCC has always suffered
an identity crisis among hams, and been viewed as the "little brother" to the
DXCC. The Fred Fish Memorial Award seems to have avoided that problem, and is coveted by
operators.
Have you checked the total number of VUCC Awarded once you exclude 6 Meters?
It's amazingly small on some bands---proof positive that even VHF Operators
don't always consider VUCC as
a goal. Changing the perception of the award will be an important job for the
league and VHF associations.
--
--
73,
Les Rayburn, N1LF
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 35114
EM63nf
6M VUCC #1712
AMSAT #38965
Grid Bandits #222
Southeastern VHF Society
Central States VHF Society Life Member
Six Club #2484
Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz & Light
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