Nice bit of research David, which illustrates your conclusion well.
People choose their bands and modes according to their preferences, and sometimes to conditions. The availability of endorsed trophies will not change that, I believe.
I do SSB, CW and FM. Jimmy does SSB and FM. Some do CW and SSB. Some do just SSB. Some do just FM. Do we really need extra variations on the awards to get some of the HF CW only to do SSB as well? I think not. If the extra awards were available, would some of the HF CW only begin to do SSB? I think not!
BTW, the only reason that SSB might “appear” to be in decline, is simply because of the many additional CW activations put on by activators in the European associations, including the newer ones. The actual amount of SSB activations hasn’t declined, but the amount of CW activations has rocketed. So the overall proportion of activations on SSB is down, but not the actual number of them. My son Jimmy M3EYP finds himself rather busy at weekends chasing activators, and he doesn’t do CW. He’s certainly busier chasing then I was in my more avid chasing days (2003-2005) - when everything was on 2m FM, SSB was growing slowly, and CW SOTA was almost unheard of (except for that chap across town who makes aerials).
This is hobby stuff, people’s free time, and they’ll do exactly what they want with it. Moany arguments of the kind that it’s not fair, or it signals the demise of the SOTA Programme, are never ever going to change people from their preferred operating style.
What can bring about change, is inspiration and motivation. I’ve been there! I was quite a committed 2m FM only activator for a long time, and saw no need nor value in trying other aspects of amateur radio, so long as I made my contacts and got my points. But eventually, looking at what other people were doing and achieving, inspired me to experience the following:
Buy a proper portable transceiver
Take a beam antenna
Try 2m SSB (over a year into my SOTA activating before I did have a proper go!)
Try HF
Become a member of the YHA
Do walks that were considerably longer than the minimum required
Try microwave - 10GHz
Learn CW
Walk the Pennine Way
Do night-time activations
Add gear for 6m and 70cm
Do contests
SOTA and the people within it have inspired me to try all those things. I doubt I would have done any of them if I had been nagged to do them.
So - what does SSB actually offer as a benefit to those we want to motivate to do it? That’s what needs to be put forward. The only benefit it has for me is that it allows Jimmy to activate on HF from summits that are difficult on VHF. And that is why I have the balance of modes used that I do.
I’m not really into HF SSB, I don’t really like it. If it has some redeeming features and offers opportunities in amateur radio I am missing out on, then sell it to me!
Tom M1EYP