With the wonders of computerized scoring, the WorldWideWeb, and electronic
publishing, there is no reason contest scores could not be computed via one
or more additional algorithms. Keep the existing system (at least for now)
as the "official" results, but re-compute results based on distance,
latitude/planetary K-index, or whatever, and see what falls out from there.
Some
mention of this was made in the original CAC correspondance.
My observation is that distance is less important than the hours of shared
daylight or darkness to key areas. If you compare rates between stations
in different geographic areas on the Contest Log Viewer/Analyzer
http://logqso.com/
it becomes real obvious, real quick. The guys in New England really clean
up as the high bands open to Europe in the morning, and to a lesser extent
when the low bands open in the evening. They are running up big numbers
for an hour or two before, say, W8/W9. Once the band opens to those areas,
the rates become very similar. Add less easily quantified factors like
getting first crack at good run frequencies, and it adds up to a lot more
difference than a linear ratio of distances between the two areas.
While the same principle (less the first crack at a frequency
consideration) works the other way to Asia/Pacific, there are far fewer
participants in
that direction.
Adding a weighting factor based on hours of mutual daylight/darkness
between stations would provide an interesting alternate scoring system.
Let a thousand flowers bloom.
73 - Jim K8MR
In a message dated 6/23/2011 4:46:36 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
jamesdavidcain@gmail.com writes:
I think trying distance-based scoring in the ARRL DX Contest might be
really fun, presuming that it would be used to assign points to each contact
according to Great Circle distance and retaining the DXCC "Countries" List as
multipliers. Please read carefully -- I said "trying." It would definitely
give me more reason to participate again next year and probably to spend
more time in the contest.
I've been doing DX contests for 48 years, from Connecticut, Indiana,
Wisconsin, New Jersey, Mississippi, and from several Caribbean spots.
I vote YES. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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