The ARRL VHF contests have a schizophrenic approach towards microwave activity.
With the one hand, they seem to want to encourage microwave activity by
awarding higher QSO points for the higher bands. With the other hand, they
discourage microwave activity by promoting the limited classes, creating new
three band classes and FM only classes. One would think that you can’t have it
both ways, but apparently you can.
Due to the higher points given to microwave QSOes, our current ARRL VHF
contests are de facto microwave contests unless you enter the limited classes,
at least when there is no sporadic E.
But it is more than just the points question. It does little good to have more
points for QSOes if there is no one to work on those bands. And when the
limited classes are an option at little additional expense, that discourages
microwave activity even further. And when the big multi stations drop
microwaves that reduces incentive even further.
The real question to ask is what is the goal to be accomplished with the
additional points for microwave QSOes? If it is to encourage microwave
activity, then the limited classes undermine this. If it is to reward the
difficulty in making microwave QSOes, then that undermines activity on the
lower bands by removing activity from them for the duration of the microwave
QSO.
Other questions worth asking are: Does it make sense to include microwave QSOes
at all in a VHF contest like the June contest when there is a lot of sporadic E
and activity on 6M? Does it make sense to simultaneously encourage microwave
activity by awarding additional points for it and discourage it by implementing
the various limited classes?
I find it interesting how these discussions always end up about geography and
level playing fields, even though those topics are not in the original question
at all. - Duffey KK6MC
--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM
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