Activity hours are great. For those that already use them, it's a done
deal. How much activity does it generate *during a contest*?
The problem is there are a lot of new hams coming on the scene, and all
they see and want to do is FT8.
If we want to continue to enjoy VHF contesting, we are going to have to
educate. It's not hard. Most of it can be done by "doing".
If we say weak-signal every 30 minutes, that is going to lead to many more
QSOs than say 6 at 6, 2 at 2, etc.
SSB and CW, Weak-signal modes as we used to call them.
Digital modes were designed for a very specific purpose: VERY weak
signals. The mode is being completely abused because people are lazy or
uneducated about the mode.
For those people who have been around 20 or 30 years and have massive
investments in weak-signal equipment, don't you want to use it in the way
it was intended?
People will say: If I go on SSB or CW, I won't do well in the contest.
That's only true if only YOU do it. We should agree as a contesting
community
that CW and SSB are awesome for VHF, as they always have. If we do, we can
bring life back, and the excitement back, to VHFContesting.
What strategies we use to bring more activity is up to us. I again stress
that rule change is probably not the answer.
SSB and CW are alive and well and thriving in HF contesting. It can be
the same way on 50MHz and above if we choose to do it.
Digital has a huge place in VHF contesting. It just can't be all
consuming. It does not make sense.
73,
Gerry W1VE
On Fri, Sep 20, 2024 at 9:05 AM Bob Turner <n2scj-lists@outlook.com> wrote:
> I still use them, especially on Sunday evening when its slower. It's easy
> to remember. 6 at 6, move up one band per hour. I now make sure to do SSB
> as well as FT8 during these times.
>
> 7 3 Bob
> N2SCJ
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: packrats-bounces@mailman.qth.net <packrats-bounces@mailman.qth.net>
> On Behalf Of Rick R
> Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2024 4:31 PM
> To: Gerry Hull <gerry@w1ve.com>; packrats reflector <
> packrats@mailman.qth.net>; vhf contesting <vhfcontesting@contesting.com>;
> Paul Bourque <pbourque@gmail.com>
> Cc: NEWS Reflector <newsvhf@mailman.qth.net>; Fred Stefanik <
> n1dpmfred@gmail.com>
> Subject: [Packrats] Activity hours
>
> For years, the Packrats published activity hours. They started about 6pm
> for 6m, 7PM for 2m, 8P 222, 9P 432, 10P 2G, 11P 3G, 12A 5&10G.
> We repeated with the same schedule for Sunday AM and PM. It worked for
> many years, although as a rover, I tried to run the bands whenever I could.
> It doesn’t work anymore and the trend as W2SJ detailed recently is start
> SSB on 6&2 and as soon as you work whomever is there and no other callers,
> go to FT8. Rick K1DS
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