All very good points [below] I can identify with firsthand. How about leaving
the "real contests" as they are, but taking the existing ARRL activity night
schedule and designating the first full week of each month as a short "contest"
series where people can submit their QSOs, scored like a non-rover, non-eme
contest? (i.e. to drive local/regional activity) Maybe it's a little "dense"
to have a whole week of operating for people who do all 5+ bands, but with 12
times per year, there are multiple opportunities, and for people who just have
6m or 2m available on their HF radio and want to dip a toe in the VHF water, it
wouldn't be overwhelming. Then at the end of the year you can tally all the
points for a "season winner" for each band or something. Could even switch off
so even months are CW/SSB only, and odd months are CW/SSB/FT.
50Mhz Sunday 6 PM Local time
144 Monday 7 PM Local time
222 Tuesday 8 PM Local time
432 Wednesday 9PM Local time
902 Friday 9 PM Local time
1296 Thursday 10 PM Local time
Maybe this would also help to promote the old activity nights so that even on
"ordinary" weeks people would be interested to have a net, test out their
stations with each other, etc?
Just thinking out loud, because we have the same issues around EN82 (low
participation, talk to the same ~20 people and you're done).
If nothing else, at least USE the activity nights, for heaven's sake. :-)
Pat
KB8DGC
Original Message(s)
=============================
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In my opinion, the Sprint sponsors do a very poor job of promoting and
advertising the Sprints.
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Dave, you need to look at the BIG picture here. Be happy you live in or
near the "Sprint corridor" and actually have access to enough activity to
make it through the first hour.
Lamenting about not running the entire 4 hours rings kinda hollow on those
that don't have enough activity on ANY VHF band - including 2M - to make it
through the first 10 minutes.
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next time, think twice about quitting early! Do something exciting instead.
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I ran out of time in the 2m sprint trying to work stations at 22:59.
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If you're a Rover, 4 hours is barely enough time to get going.
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The sprints are a good fun break from the workday, but are 4 hours a
bit much? It's supposed to be a sprint not a marathon
---------------
It isn't much of an idea, more a suggestion, to not abandon the VHF
sprints when activity dies down after the initial spurt of activity
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