While the stories of days gone by might be of interest to some, it does not
really address the issue of getting folks ON THE AIR TODAY.
So - here is a suggestion to everyone on the list. Tell stories about what
you are doing NOW. Activating grids, odd openings and anything else that
might be of interest to a wider audience that just folks in your back
yard. Why do this? To help promote activity. I don't need to listen to
hours of noise hoping to work someone. If I want to do that, I will spend
my efforts on HF and put lots of Q's in the log.
What do I need to start making noise on VHF? Times, frequencies and
possibly modes that will increase my chances of finding openings when I can
work someone. While I only have an all-mode gear for 6/2 meters, if I had
some glimmer of hope of activity, I could be persuaded to add more
gear/higher power to the station. But - when I all I see here is folks
telling stories about how life used to be, and lack of new folks joining
the ranks, I really don't see any point in improving my station. I already
know what a dead band sounds like.
Want to see how this works? Look at the Topback reflector. Folks posting
about interesting openings and folks they worked. Granted, some of it does
not apply to me, but it helps to keep interest levels up and to raise the
general knowledge level of all participants - even casual readers of the
reflector.
Perhaps its time to try this on this reflector as well... It might even
make the bands radio active!
Tom - VE3CX EN58go
On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 6:53 PM, VE3DS <ve3ds@acanac.net> wrote:
> Not sure if this got thru yesterday …
> I might add that back in 1970 we didn’t have internet but we could call
> people up on the phone
> to get them to come on …
>
> I still like the contests where you can make skeds & hope for the best…but
> technology changes and so we must.
>
> ___________
>
> Further to Dave K1WHS comments - I’m outside of Dave’s 200 mi circle...
>
> I worked my first contest in 1970 on 144 Mhz with a modded ARC3 @10 w and
> 2 HB 8 el telrex yogis
> fed with 7/8 helix. I was fortunate to live near Dennis VE3ASO, who , when
> I got on 144.110 (this was 1969) , promptly came down
> and asked me “what the heck are you doing on MY band”? It was the local
> guys who inspired us 16 years olds to get on
> and chase DX…but contesting - well we just looked at the East Coast Q’s
> and tried to understand how those scores were generated.
> Of course, it was groups of keen teenage guys on mountaintops … organized
> and skilled with lots of locals to work.
>
> At any rate, back in the day, no matter how hard we tried - more power,
> better antennas etc it was never enough.
>
> In fact it took a superhuman effort to mobilize all our local guys - 1
> dedicated per band, develop state of the art band stations
> find our version of a mountain top and pray for good conditions…to break
> into the Top 10.
>
> Are there other factors? Certainly - but the big one is distance - we in
> Canada are far from the “centres” of activity in the States…& there needs
> to be an incentive to
> have people look for stations in low density grids who can capitalize on
> those short openings be it scatter or tropo.
>
> SO… I for one would strongly support a distance calculation based on 6
> digit grids - maybe some kind of Logarithmic scoring method ie. 10 km, 100
> km, 1000 km, 10000 km
> would be 1x 2 x 3x 4x the normal point band score… ie. on 50 Mhz 1 pt x 3
> for a 1000 km contact…
>
> We should also encourage everyone to do their best regarding their
> stations - not forgetting WSJT and EME. Kudos to the Rovers on this
> aspect, I’ve watched Bill VE3CRU
> and VE3OIL, VE3SMA etc work rover magic… but I’m not crazy about “captive
> rovers” who only work their guys… I think that is “gaming the system”...
>
> If you want to encourage activity, then make it attractive for everyone,
> level the playing field so to speak.
>
> Did I mention that it should also be FUN?
>
> I can’t remember the number of times we all got together post contest over
> pizza and beers to guffaw about
> the “arcing and sparking’, or the “lightning and tornado” or our hosts
> “home made pie “…. it was FUN….lets keep it FUN, that’s what’s kept VHF
> UHFers together since
> we found out about DX on 5 m...
>
> 73 Dana VE3DS
> VE3ONT FN03fq
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>
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