--- Original Message ---
From: "Kenneth E. Harker" <kenharker@kenharker.com>
To: CQ Contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Stimulating Participation
was: Limited Antenna Height Category
>On Tue, Nov 30, 2004 at 01:01:16PM -0500, Pete Smith
wrote:
>
>> Doesn't mean it isn't still a
good idea, particularly
>> in the face of flat or declining participation in
contests, which is why I
>> have brought it up again.
>
>Can you back up that assertion that contest activity
is "flat or declining"
>with data? On HF, it is exactly the opposite of my
personal observation.
>
I think there is a perception that activity on 10
meters has decreased significantly - and not due to
the sunspot cycle. As the number of novices and techs
decreases, I've noticed that the wild 10 meter QSO
counts of the early-mid 90s have not really been
matched today. You could spend most all day on 10 in
the NAQP, CQP, and SS contests - racking up unique Qs
from Novices and techs.
Statistics show that the number of novice and tech-
plus operators has dropped substantially in recent
years. While some of them have graduated to the real
HF allowable categories, many have either dropped out
or remained on VHF bands.
A review of some of the 3830 reports might give some
indication of QSO trends. Of course, its hard to make
exact comparisons since the advent of SO2R has pushed
up overall QSO effectiveness.
Perhaps an analysis of Field Day will give a guess as
to overal QSO counts.
Rich NN3W
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