[RMVHF] Possible solution

[Nate Duehr]

Phil Krichbaum wrote:
> Jack,
>     Before the days of internet spotting 7240, and 3818 were used to 
> some extent. 3818 was a frequency used for the Central States weekly VHF 
> Net and saw a lot of activity during meteor showers to arrange schedules 
> and some during contests. The spotting nets are great but in the VHF 
> contests single OPs can not use then unless they want to be considered a 
> multiop. 

Same with the rovers, or we'd be "self-spotting".  I can't figure out 
why Multi-Ops can have all the fun and the other categories are limited 
to not telling anyone even "So-and-so is in DN70 now"...

Technically that's legal from a multi-op to a multi-op, since all 
Multi-ops can use spotting networks, but if a Rover or Single-Op *uses* 
that on-air information to make a contact, they broke the rules... 
technically.

Does it (and will it continue to) happen?  Hell yes.

> In HF contesting there is a single OP Assisted class for those 
> using internet spots. A recent rule change allows multiops in ARRL VHF 
> contests to use the ARPS information from the web but since the majority 
> of ops are single ops, I don't think it is a big help. I know some local 
> rovers use ARPS.

I was going to carry APRS this year again, and I did in 2006.  But 
ironically, I can carry it and a multi-op can watch for me on an 
Internet spotting network, but I can't use that same system to look for 
other rovers.  Very strange that they added APRS, but the people 
transmitting with it, can't use it.  (We also have to shut down our APRS 
if we're on VHF... only one transmitter per band.)


> Here in Colorado 7240 is used for the Colorado high 
> noon net that lasts about an hour. At night 40m gets a bit long but on 
> the other hand my success on 75m mobile hasn't been real great. Here in 
> Colorado we have the Colorado Connection system of 2m repeaters which 
> probably qualifies as a ham radio means of arranging  schedules. There 
> is a prohibition against using non amateur radio means to arrange 
> schedules during the contest period. Also you can not use 2m repeaters 
> to solicit QSOs but maybe this would be OK to let everyone know that you 
> are up and going in DM87 etc. Even though the Colorado Connection is 
> some 13 two meter  repeaters, there is not a lot of activity on the 
> system. I agree with your 10% statement! You could probably make it 1% 
> and it is still true!

I can almost guaranteed that if the rovers started announcing that we 
were somewhere via the Connection, someone would have a conniption about 
us self-spotting, and we'd be all DQ'ed.

>     K0YW proposed that rovers and people looking for them meet on a 2m 
> frequency like 144220 at fixed times like every 15 minutes. I think this 
> has potential also.

Maybe we could set aside one frequency that most of the rovers go to 
first (instead of 144.200 - ha...) when they fire up in a new grid and 
are looking for contacts?  People wanting to work rovers would then have 
to actually move their dials from 144.200 to somewhere else!  (GRIN)

144.220 is too close to .200 though -- when you take some of the big 
guns with amps into account.  A kilowatt on .220 will mess with people 
on .200, and while that's all "part of contesting", I've had a number of 
people tell me they've already dropped out of even the June contest 
because they got tired of getting blown away by our local big guns who 
either a) couldn't hear them, or b) were right next to them in frequency 
and had no regard for how wide their signals were.

I've explained to a number of these folks that better filters, better 
rigs, and very high gain antennas often mean the big guys can't hear 
them, really and truly... but they're turned off on VHF contesting 
(maybe all contesting) and won't be back... I guess it's something for 
the webpages and things... "Expect to get whalloped by the big guns when 
you're near them in frequency."

Sad maybe, but true... not something someone new to contesting would 
really understand though.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to move some of the feeding frenzy off of .200 
though...

Nate WY0X