VHF Sweepstakes observations

[K5USS]

Working the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes was fun, and with it being my first contest was also a very educational experience. #While I did not make as many contacts as I would have liked to, I did make enough to gain some insight into the contesting world. #During a lull in the contest I began going over my log sheets and started to see a pattern forming. #It seemed to me that the vast majority of the call signs I had logged were 1x2 calls, or call signs that seemed to have been issued many years ago. #In this day of vanity call signs it is hard to tell just who is an old timer and who is new on the scene. #I too am guilty of having a vanity call sign and did not really pay much more attention to it until later when the VHF/UHF bands in my area were silent for the first time in almost 22 hours!

I was curious as to how many of the calls were really what they seemed to be, Advanced, and Extras. #I opened up QRZ.com and started checking calls and license classes. #As I was doing this it confirmed to me that I had in fact worked one license class more than any other. #I put all of the call signs into MS Excel along with the license class and had Excel do a pie chart. #The numbers REALLY caught me off guard.

Out of 47 individual stations worked, I did not include any call sign more than once, I came up with the following percentages;

- Club call signs # # # 3%
- Technician # # # # #10%
- General # # # # # # #14%
- Advanced # # # # # # 3%
- Extra # # # # # # # # #70%

While these numbers are by no means scientific, I was amazed at the staggering differences!

Several questions immediately came to mind when I saw the statistics I had compiled; are there more Extras than other license classes? #No, according to the QRZ.com “Ham Census” ( http://www.qrz.com/i/census.html? ) Technician and General class licensees are the greater number. #As of 01-25-04 the percentages of active license classes are:

- Novice # # # # # # # #5.59%
- Technician # # # # 33.85%
- Tech. Plus # # # # 12.16%
- General # # # # # # 20.84%
- Advanced # # # # #12.95%
- Extra # # # # # # # #14.61%

With all of the license classes having privileges to operate the contest this weekend in at least one or more bands, why were the Extras the larger portion of the operators? #I called 5 Extra class license holders that I know and all of them had the same basic response, most of the newer licensees are not interested in contesting. #Does this response tell me that the vast majority of the Extras that were on during the contest are “old timers”? #I have no way of knowing, but would like to hear what some others think. #

Did you work the VHF Sweepstakes this weekend, and if so, what is your license class? #Why is there not more lower license class holders participating?

The contest is still going as I write this, but I do not see the numbers changing much by 0400Z.

Charlie
K5USS

[KC0OFZ]

This question puzzles me as well. #It seems that some of these hams spend the most time and energy complaining about the privileges they don't have and how they feel they deserve them. #I have said it before, I am an Extra but still spent almost 50% or better of my time above 30 Mhz. #It is not so much a question of what privileges you have, it is a question of what you do with what you have. #There is nothing to be ashamed of above 30 Mhz. #It is a full world in and of itself and the possibilities are endless. #
Now the statement that some don't care for contesting is true, in fact I know some who don't. #That being said, however, It would be nice to see these hams who think they can't operate unless they have HF, using some of the privileges they have instead of just wanting more handed out for free.
73
KCØOFZ

(P.S.) I know not all techs are this way, some are busy, some don't like contesting, ect, but the ones complaining the loudest could utilize their privileges a little better and prove they can handle more privileges.

[N8CPA]

I planned to participate, but had too many other things to do, this weekend. So don't look for me in your logs (hee).

As far what your numbers mean, I think maybe, that the operational aspects (including the technical details of a competitive station) of contesting might appeal more to someone who's more inclined to become Extra--but not necessarily the other way around. So you'll find more contesters who are Extras, than Extras who are contesters.

Steve

[KA7RRA]

Iam a general class I have done some contesting but I had to work this weekend.I get 400.00 for working a saturday.Maybe I well go out in my car and do some roveing
Dave

[w5alt]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N8CPA @ Jan. 25 2004,16:10)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">... #So you'll find more contesters who are Extras, than Extras who are contesters.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Uhmmm, not sure I follow.

Can you name 1 contester that's an Extra who is not also an Extra who's a contester?

73,

[KC8QMU]

If you are a technician class licensee there is a good chance that you are fairly new to the hobby. I don't know about you, but I didn't have a ton of money to spend on an all mode rig right off the bat either.

Besides, in many areas there is not much in the way of local VHF/UHF SSB/CW activity. Unless someone has a lot of money to spend, and is a true afficionado of those bands, they may be spending a lot of money to hear nothing except the occasional contests and band openings. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy 6M SSB from time to time, have worked DX on it, but it isn't a constant thing. I also enjoy 2M simplex, there is a lot you can do without repeaters!

My point is, if you are a new tech getting started in the hobby you are probably starting out with a 2M FM rig. Not every ham can dump hundreds of dollars at random on a whim. Give them a break....... it isn't like you can just use your average couple- hundred dollar dual band radio to work it.

[ae4fa]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">if you are a new tech getting started in the hobby you are probably starting out with a 2M FM rig. Not every ham can dump hundreds of dollars at random[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
True. I sure can't. I had to build my station slowly over time - still at it after 40 years.

[mackinac]

These statistics are interesting but not surprizing. About 15 or more years ago, before no-code or low-code and when there was some discussion of no-code going on I decided to compute some statistics of what the different license classes did.

My initial interest was evaluating technical interest. I went through a year's worth of Ham Radio magazine (a now defunct magazine devoted to construction and technical interests) to see how well each class of license was represented among the authors. The distribution was about half Extra class and half Advanced. There were a few others, one Technician and a couple of non-US hams. Although I expected something like this, I didn't expect such a skewed distribution.

Noting the almost non-existant interest in publishing technical articles by Technician or General licensees, I decided to review the entries for one of the ARRL VHF contests. I don't recall the exact numbers after all this time, but they were similar. Participation by higher class licensees greatly exceeded other classes.

Why? I don't know, but just based on observations of people and hams in particular I would hypothesize the following:

- The people who are most interested in are going to expend the effort to get the higher class license.
- Problem solving ability can be applied to many tasks. The person who works through the details of designing a circuit then getting an article published, or setting up and operating a contest station, will apply the same skills and perseverance to learning CW or passing the written test.

[K9STH]

I haven't been on the contest this weekend for a couple of reasons: First of all my rheumatoid arthritis has been &quot;acting up&quot; and secondly, since K5USS is located only 5 blocks from me and is running solid-state equipment, I know that I am going to &quot;overload&quot; his front end. Since I am running tube type equipment, the reverse is much reduced. Also, Charlie is operating much more than I would this time around anyway.

Now, in the past I have done very well in the various VHF contests including taking the West Gulf Division. Also, I have done very well in the various HF contests, especially the ARRL DX, the various CQ DX (and WPX), even the Russian DX contest (took all of North America one time!). However, I do run &quot;hot and cold&quot;, that is, I work a contest very seriously then don't work much for a while.

As for VHF: I have been on VHF since late 1959 or early 1960. My very first 6 meter rig was a Heath DX-20 that I modified for 6 meters with a single solder joint! Actually, I wrote my very first article on this and got $30 in 1961 from 73 magazine for a 2/3 of a page (old small size) which was a &quot;fortune for a high school student in those days. Built a plate modulator using a pair of 6L6 tubes for it. Had (actually still have) a homebrew 6 meter converter that I used with my Hallicrafters S-85! Actually, it would have had to have been 1960 since I didn't get my S-85 until that year!

Probably, around 50 to 60 percent of my operation is still on VHF. I work more 6 and 2 meter SSB these days than 2 meter or 70 cm FM. I would have to check my log and then average out things. I do keep a log for everything but FM operation (a &quot;hard&quot; copy even). I believe that Steve, WB2WIK, is going to be in this classification as well as I.

In this area (Dallas, Texas) there are a goodly number of VHF operators who do hold higher than Technican Class licenses including some very serious EME operators. A lot of them seem to work primarily band openings or contests. Also, I have found that they tend to shy away from the &quot;newcomers&quot;. I do know that certain individuals will answer me all the time when I call CQ yet will not answer other stations. Those stations will acknowledge and work newer operators if they either are in QSO with an older operator or else break in on an ongoing QSO. It is just that they don't seem to associate with the newcomers except during contests in terms of initiating a QSO with them. Why, I really can't say! As for me, I'll work anyone so long as they &quot;behave&quot; themselves!

Anyway, I have found that the majority of contest operators are usually higher class licensees. As to the exact reason, I can only surmise that percentage wise that many Technician Class licensees do not have the equipment (you can get on 6 meter SSB for under $200 very easily) or just plain do not have the interest. Also, there are a &quot;fair&quot; percentage of newer operator who have only invested in a 2 meter handheld and just plain do not have the ability to participate.

Glen, K9STH

[K3XR]

Not sure that all the extras contesting are that much of a puzzle for the following reasons:
1. #Contesters want to take advantage of the entire band i.e Nov. SS 3750-3800. Many (not all) on vhf this weekend work other contests.

2. #There are many serious contesters, and as a result, are very serious about their hobby and want to achive all they can.

3. #Many of the folks in contest have participated in them for a number of years now (my first was in 1961)and, over time, have moved up the license ladder.

4. #Partly because of the reason given in #3, they simply have the antennas, equipment and the location needed to mount a serious contest effort. #That is not to say you should not participate if you do not fall into this category. My first VHF SS were two heathkit rigs with superegen receivers #and one crystal for each band and a dipole for each band in my parents attic.
DAN,K3XR

[w5alt]

PML, methinks it takes a real big ego to think those comments were derrogatory towards you personally.

He didn't say anything about you or your capabilities.

73,

[n5zvp]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">In this area (Dallas, Texas) there are a goodly number of VHF operators who do hold higher than Technican Class licenses including some very serious EME operators. #A lot of them seem to work primarily band openings or contests. #Also, I have found that they tend to shy away from the &quot;newcomers&quot;. #I do know that certain individuals will answer me all the time when I call CQ yet will not answer other stations. #Those stations will acknowledge and work newer operators if they either are in QSO with an older operator or else break in on an ongoing QSO. #It is just that they don't seem to associate with the newcomers except during contests in terms of initiating a QSO with them. #[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

That's the problem with most ham operators in the Dallas. #The only time you hear folks chatting with strangers outside of drive time, is when there's a contest or a special event going on. #A few clubs go above and beyond, but in my twelve years in DFW radio, I've been invited to a hand full of ham shacks.

Now the NTMS folks are real nice to newcomers and have taught me a lot, but I don't have the resources nor the time to build that level of gear. Plus decent antennas are out due to restrictions.

Seems that the local effort is spent on RACES sometimes to the detrement of everything else.

Chris WA5TT (formerly N5ZVP)

[KI4BOO]

I had the oppertunaty to make a few contacts using my station this weekend. I made 11 total on 2 Meter SSB. Barely even &quot;a few&quot;, but I participated. I wont be submitting my log.

I made a few contacts during the day across the state using cross-polarization and 75 Watts into a vertical antenna 10 feet above the ground.

I had a lot of fun, and I can't wait to work the next contest.

[W0LC]

Charlie,

As your information posted indicates, there isn't always a rhyme or reason as to the results. Kinda like saying all the extra class ops are pro-code, etc.

I think what you are seeing is that many of the Techs don't do contests, yet. Many of the extras out there do. A better analysis would be to take the percentage of techs and compare how many contested and then compare the number of Extras and how many contested. I think the results may be more balanced.

There are a lot of us out there that do participate in contests, but not all contests.

What your post really reflects to me is interest in the contest and not just by license class.

Thanks for the interesting info!

[N8CPA]

Walt, I too wondered where that needless rebuttal came from. #I even reread AI4CB's post and saw nothing disparaging toward anyone. #I'm still scratching my head.

What I was trying to say earlier is that if you constructed a Venn diagram of all hams, the circles representing Extras and Contesters would be fairly small. But the intersection of the Contesters with all other license classes, would show the greatest overlap with Extras. #I think that the competitve spirit is pretty closely related to the drive to upgrade all the way--think of it as the joyful stress of logistics, strategy, hotfoot problem solving, repelling Murphy, etc.

In all contests, on all bands, I've noticed a significant number of Extra class calls. #Part of that is due to the fact that, being Extra, I can operate where some participants are not permitted. #That would explain why on most HF bands, but does not apply to VHF, 10M, or 160M. #And remember, only a small percentage of Extras are also contesters.

I wonder if the League would issue a grant for a scientific study--yeah, right!
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[kd7eze]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif The class of license is not in question, really. It all depends on how rich you are. Most of the hams I know, from novice through extra, just don't have the &quot;big bucks&quot; to spend on expensive SSB gear. Antennas are not a problem, as I've been building them since long before I was licensed. And, what really is all the hubbub about a contest anyway? You try to make <span style='color:red'>X</span> number of contacts in a specified time, log your contacts, then submit your log to get some type of award or certificate to hang on your wall. Either this is boring as heck, or I haven't been bitten by the proverbial bug. Probably the latter, due to lack of exposure. Field Day aside, I know of no-one in my area that contests. I do log my few DX contacts, but I've never submitted my log for anything, and I'm really not interested in any type of award. As for the QSL card thing, I don't have anything to send, and really don't care if any of my contacts send me any. QSLing was a part of my past, with the old CB days. When I left the 11 meter excitement behind (mid 70's), all of the QSL cards went with it. Besides, this is not something I want plastered all over my walls anymore.

Back on topic: If you enjoy contesting, by all means, pursue it. It's just an aspect of ham radio that I don't have the time or money to invest in at this stage in my life. Again, just my <span style='color:green'>2¢</span> worth. Out!

KD7EZE/5

[K9STH]

EZE:

If a newcomer &quot;swallows his/her pride&quot; and is willing to go with the older SSB equipment (which often works as well if not better than a lot of the newer equipment) then they can get on SSB for a whole lot less than what you might think!

This goes for VHF as well as HF. You may have to &quot;load and dip&quot; the final amplifier, but, considering that the older equipment doesn't usually require an antenna tuner, it actually is easier to use than a lot of the newer equipment that does require an antenna tuner!

Most contests these days have a &quot;low power&quot; (usually 100 watts or less) category and you don't have to be a &quot;big gun&quot; to win. The &quot;big guns&quot; go up against each other and the rest of the amateur population can compete against their &quot;peers&quot;.

Many operators participate in contests to see how their equipment performs in relation to other stations. They participate to increase the number of countries that they have worked on HF or number of grid squares on VHF. Frankly, I sincerely believe that well over 75 percent of those who participate never send in their logs to the organization sponsoring the contest.

There are those amateurs who basically &quot;live&quot; for contests. There are those amateurs who hate contests with a passion! Then, there are an awful lot of amateurs who participate for a little while in the contests for various reasons and then go on to other activities during the remainder of the contest.

Contesting is not for everyone. But, it has been my experience that for every amateur who has actually tried contesting and didn't like it at all, that there are 3 or 4 amateurs who do enjoy working the contest for at least some part of the period. There are not that many people who can actually work the entire period (but there definitely are those people who can and do). But, even if they only work the contest for an hour, or two, those who do operate definitely enjoy what they are doing.

Also, FM operation is allowed during the VHF contests. None of them allow contacts made through a repeater or using the repeater frequencies. The ARRL VHF contests also do not allow contacts made on 146.520 MHz or the channels immediately on either side of 146.520 MHz. The CQ VHF contests do allow simplex contacts on 146.520 MHz although they also do not allow contacts made on repeater frequencies (including working &quot;reverse&quot;, that is listening on the input frequency and transmitting on the output frequency). When things get really dead during the VHF contacts I have gone to FM. There is nothing against moving people from a repeater to a simplex frequency. However, you must make your contact on simplex to count.

Anyway, the belief that it takes &quot;big bucks&quot; to either operate on SSB and/or operate contests is certainly not true. You can spend as little or as much on amateur radio and still enjoy virtually all, if not all, facets of operating.

Glen, K9STH

[ab2kt]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ai4cb @ Jan. 25 2004,21:25)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...I think I need more power and a higher antenna!!...maybe with a better antenna my pitiful 5 watts would be enough to do something with...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
If the mountain will not come to you, then you go to the mountain!

Fortunately with the 817 on VHF/UHF that's not very difficult (assuming you've got a mountain close enough to go to). All I can say is it's pretty astonishing what you can do with 5 watts and small yagis if you set yourself on top of a 1000' hill with a clear view of at least part of the horizon.

If you haven't seen it, check out Cheap VHF/UHF Yagis (http://www.clarc.org/Articles/uhf.htm).

On a decent hilltop you'll surely have enough activity to keep you quite busy for a couple of hours' contesting, anyway. Especially if you run on three bands, not much harder than just one, really. That's my experience, anyway.

[WB2WIK]

Amateur radio is supported mainly by about 10% of all licensed hams who actually do something to make the hobby better; in some cases, that's contesting, which helps hams push their limits higher and farther than before and keeps us interested in competing against ourselves and propagation!

Although I only operated a few hours in the VHF-SS last weekend, it was most interesting and I agree the majority of the real contesters had higher class licenses. I can think of many reasons for this, among them:

VHF-UHF-SHF contesting is a highly technical exercise, one in which only the cream of the crop can do well. The door's wide open for &quot;newbies,&quot; but they won't do well and perhaps they know that going in. When I was a newbie myself, I wasn't intimidated by this at all, but I can understand why some might be.

VHF-UHF-SHF contesting is most enjoyable when an operator or entrant has a chance of doing well. To do well, you either need a well-equipped home station with excellent antennas, or you need to take it into the field and operate from advantageous locations, or as a &quot;Rover.&quot; Any of these approaches takes not only skill, but dedication. The &quot;I'm too busy&quot; attitude won't get you anywhere, nor will an unwillingness to learn a lot quickly. Nobody became a contest operator by using the internet.

Is it possible to actually &quot;win&quot; a VHF contest without having a home station? Absolutely! The highest scores nowadays are made mostly by &quot;rover&quot; stations, and no home station of any kind is required. But the rovers, or the good ones, are very well equipped and supremely skilled: Roving can involve using ten VHF-UHF-SHF bands (50 MHz through 10.368 GHz), sometimes operating and logging while rolling down the road. Not for the feint of heart, and usually requires a partner along for the ride, to make the most of limited time.

Also, while the vagaries of HF propagation are making it more challenging today than at any time in the past four or five years to work anything worthwhile on the &quot;DX&quot; bands (due to the rapid decline of solar cycle 23!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif, VHF and UHF are like that all the time! Last evening, in the waning hours of the VHF-SS, two meters went through a strong propagation &quot;peak&quot; at about 0300UTC this morning (7pm local time for me), where stations 400-500 miles away came pouring in -- stations I couldn't hear at any other time of the weekend -- on two meter SSB. If you snooze, you lose. I almost missed this entirely, it's all timing.

Six meters this weekend was even crazier. I worked an hour or two on Saturday, and an hour or two on Sunday, and that was all. But far as I could tell, the band never &quot;opened&quot; here in southern CA, until the last 30 minutes at the end of the contest, between 0330UTC and 0400UTC. In that last 30 minutes, the band popped open for single-hop Es, and I was working stations in southern Mexico and eastern Texas with 30/S9 signals. W3XO/5 in EM00, W5UWB in EL17 and many others were pounding in with S9++ signals in the last fifteen minutes of the SS, and these guys were nowhere to be heard for the first 30+ hours of the contest. Timing, skill, and -- oh, did I say &quot;timing?&quot;

Funny part was: While I was working all the XE2's and W5's on six, I didn't hear anybody else local to me working any of them. So, I dialed over to 50.125 and &quot;announced&quot; that the band was open...&quot;Guys, better tune around or you're going to miss it altogether.&quot;

That created a flurry of activity, and I think several other &quot;locals&quot; to me did work the hop. Prior to my announcement, they were all sitting around wondering whether to shut down their stations or not.

WB2WIK/6

[k1pml]

i think i owe you all an apology for my rather abrupt remarks towards the post, had i considered what it really said, rather than how i saw it i would not have replied in such a manner.

i will remove my post and anyothers pertaining to it..

[wb0wao]

I used to do a LOT of VHF/UHF operating/contesting from about 1977 to 1980 and from 1985 - 1991. Even back then there were a LOT of Advanced/Extra VHF/UHF ops. One of the main reasons (as Glen may recall) as this was &quot;pre-internet&quot; days and you had the Central States VHF net on 3818 (I think that was the freq) which was in the Advanced part of the band. I know of quite a few that upgraded to Advanced just so they could get on there and make skeds and the like! Also 28.885 was the 6m &quot;watering hole&quot; for exchanging info and setting up skeds as well. Now, with the 'net you have email, chat rooms, message boards, etc. so the &quot;need&quot; to have a higher class of license to make skeds and the like has pretty much been made obsolete. I used to have to call a friend up on the phone so he could announce on 3818 that I was looking for skeds!
73

Dennis - WB0WAO