Eric Hilding wrote:
>I've been scratching my bald head again trying to figure out why the ARRL
>SS starts and ends so darn late EST.
>
Partly historical, partly the result of trying to schedule an event that
spans a continent with a half-dozen time zones and trying to give
everyone reasonable access to unpredictable multi-band HF propagation.
> You East Coast guys who have to get
>up and go to work Monday morning must have a tough time getting out of bed.
>
>
Nope. But you're assuming East Coast guys haven't used up all their
operating time by 10 p.m. Some would argue that if East Coast guys are
still on at 10 p.m. they've mis-managed their time. Actually, 10-12
p.m. is some of the best operating time here. Kids in bed, chores done,
everyone doing their own thing. Contests that end by 10 p.m. Sunday end
too soon.
Historically, 10 p.m. is hardly "late". These things used to run into
the wee hours of Monday. In the CD Parties (and I think the older form
of the SS) you got to operate 20 out of 33 hours max available.
You're injecting your own body rhythms into a contest format that has to
work for other people, too. Ask any college student or young adult if
10 p.m. is "late". I used to work a full 9 or 10 hour day, come home,
have dinner, spend time with the family, and then work on rig projects
until 1 or 2 a.m. So 10 p.m. isn't "late" for me.
Back in the 50s the SS and the CD Parties didn't start until 2300Z, or
Saturday evening on the east coast. Those of us who had to work on
Saturdays appreciated that fact. I felt sorry for the West Coast people
who had an afternoon start. Later, when I worked mostly just M-F, I
used Saturday daylight hours for antenna work and pre-contest
preparations. I rather dislike the current "early" 4 p.m. start time on
Saturday; I'd rather go until 2 a.m. Monday than start before dinner on
Saturday. But that's just me.
>I notice that numerous other ARRL sponsored contests end around 7PM EST (or
>real early Sunday Morning or Midday Sunday):
>
>
Not a fair comparison. See my comments for individual contests below.
>ARRL 10-Meter Contest
>Ends at 2359 UTC Sunday (7PM EST)
>
>ARRL 160 Meter Contest
>Ends at 1600 UTC Sunday (Morning - 11AM EDT)
>
>
The single band contests you mention below are essentially daylight-only
or nighttime-only, and the operating hours were originally designed to
try to make them as fair across the time zone span as possible.
>ARRL Field Day
>Ends at 2100 UTC Sunday
>(Starts at 1800 UTC Saturday like the NAQP)
>
>
First of all, Field Day is *not* a contest -- just ask ARRL.... :-)
Secondly, it's the only one of the major HF events that the majority of
entries and entrants are out in the boondocks, away from home -- *any*
home. I think "tear down" safety and travel time bear on these hours.
>IARU HF World Championship
>Ends at 1200 UTC Sunday (Morning - 8AM EDT)
>
>ARRL DX Contest (CW & SSB)
>Ends at 2400 UTC Sunday (7PM EDT)
>
>
Those two are *international* -- spanning 24 time zones. Clearly,
multiples of 24 hours are intended to give all participants equal access
to all parts of the day/night cycle.
>And then there is SS:
>
>ARRL November Sweepstakes
>Ends at 0300 UTC (MONDAY!!! - 10PM Sunday Night EST)
>(Doesn't start until 2100 UTC on Saturday).
>
>I'd sure like to know the rationale involved in not starting until 4PM EST
>on Saturday and not ending until 10PM EST Sunday Night
>
>
See my opening comments.
>Does anyone know WHY the SS hours are so out-of-sync???
>
>
Out of synce with *what*? Your personal needs? I'd move SS *later*, if
I had my druthers.
Many's the time I've sat on 40 meters in the wee small hours of Monday
morning, waiting to eke out that last mid-western VE section or SJV.
Not as much fun these days -- way too "civilized". I can get up from
the chair at 10 p.m., grab some dessert, watch the 11 p.m. news, and pay
some bills before hitting the sack.
Bud, W2RU
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|