Sadly, if we don't resolve the FT8 issue I'm not sure the rover count will
stay up either. I just bought a few amplifiers from a guy who's only been
roving for a few years. I asked why he was giving up and his answer was
that he wasn't going to sit in his car working FT8. He said he kept finding
less and less activity on bands above 432 and it just wasn't worth the cost
to add bands when he couldn't find people to move up. He doesn't have a
good QTH for VHF so he said he's done. It's hard to argue with him when I'm
having the same issues as a non-rover.
Dave
N2OA
On Fri, Jan 29, 2021 at 12:26 PM Jeff Townsend <wb8lyj@gmail.com> wrote:
> One category that has gone up since the early 2000s are rovers. In 2019
> there were 84 and 79 in 2020.
>
> > On Jan 29, 2021, at 11:02 AM, Ed Kucharski <k3dne@comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> > Jack: All the reasons you listed are viable. It is hard work to set-up a
> multi station, even harder if it is portable. I'm sure that has something
> to do with it. Our silent keys and aging may be factors too but the
> differences in #'s is striking.
> >
> > I apologize that all my attempts to show the chart I put together got
> messed up by the reflector - it was a much better visual than just reading
> my words.
> >
> > In 2000 (September contests data) there were 76 multi's submitting a log
> with a combined cumulative average score of the top 10 of 714K (in 2005
> that went up to 991K) and there has been a steady decline since. In 2014 a
> record # of Multi logs were submitted (81) with a combined cumulative
> average score of the top 10 of only 249K but in 2015 that # dropped to 31
> with that avg top 10 score of 172K. The # of Multi log submissions have
> been hanging out in the 30's since then. The combined cumulative average
> score of the top 10 has now dropped to the low 100K area (2019 = 114K, 2020
> =105K [Covid]) so different from the 991K in 2005.
> >
> > 73,
> > Ed K3DNE
> >
> >
> >> On 01/29/2021 9:16 AM JACK NYIRI < nyirijp@comcast.net mailto:
> nyirijp@comcast.net > wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> Ed - perhaps it is due to the increasing number of silent keys in
> the VHF+ community.... Also, there are more and more communities with
> restrictive conveniences that prohibit outdoor antennas.(I think this one
> discourages the young guys from getting in the hobby.)
> >>
> >> I look at the drop off of operators/stations in the mid-west, south
> and for that matter even in the east. Guys are getting older and retiring
> to places that do not allow outdoor antennas.
> >>
> >> COVID has not help in the past year.
> >>
> >> I hope I am wrong... - 73 - Jack AB4CR
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>> On 01/29/2021 8:59 AM Ed Kucharski < k3dne@comcast.net mailto:
> k3dne@comcast.net > wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> I couldn't embed the chart in the email so it is now attached.
> >>>
> >>> I'm doing some research and digging for data about the recent
> thread associated with the effect FTx has had on traditional weak signal
> modes (ssb/cw).
> >>>
> >>> In the process I noticed a dramatic decrease in both Limited
> Multi and Unlimited Multi activity and scores (September VHF Contests) in
> the mid-late 2000's and again in 2015. The authors of the results write-ups
> noted this as well but didn't offer an explanation (unless I missed it).
> >>>
> >>> Why??? FT8 didn't begin till 2017 (according to that write-up).
> Remember, I only looked at the September results! 2015 was the first year
> allowing use of spotting in all categories (spots, chat rooms, email, text,
> phone, etc.).
> >>>
> >>> See attached chart (Word File). I had a little difficulty
> getting all the #'s if it wasn't mentioned in the write-up - scanning and
> counting results - I may have missed a few either way, scores were rounded.
> >>>
> >>> Thoughts?
> >>>
> >>> 73,
> >>> Ed K3DNE
> >>>
> >>> LM = Limited Multi
> >>> UM = Unlimited Multi
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> >>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> >>>
> >>>>
> > _______________________________________________
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> > VHFcontesting@contesting.com
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>
> Jeff Townsend
> WB8LYJ/R
>
>
>
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