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Re: [CQ-Contest] SSB Sprint - W4ANs View

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] SSB Sprint - W4ANs View
From: David Pruett <k8cc@comcast.net>
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 23:50:22 -0400
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
On 9/16/2014 8:51 AM, Hal Kennedy wrote:
The CD parties were dropped. There is no "Giant Rule-Book in the Sky" that says once a contest is established it has to last forever. Is it time to pull the plug?
The CD parties were not dropped because of linsufficient activity. The CD parties were dropped for political reasons. The ARRL was afraid of the non-contester backlash from sponsoring contests where only ARRL appointees (closed CD parties) or only ARRL appointees and ARRL members (open CD parties) were allowed to participate.

I remember when the SSB Sprints were instituted and thinking that this was the dumbest contest ever invented. Ar least until the RTTY Sprint came along. But I was wrong. I have occasionally operated in both the phone and RTTY sprints and enjoyed myself - these are indeed viable contests. However, at this time I have insufficient interest in either to devote four hours on a weekend evening to these. No offense meant.

However, without sufficient activity a contest withers away. The participants support the contest by their participation.

Also, Sprints by their very nature are somewhat exclusive. The QSY rule and operating demands are not very friendly to casual or newbie participants. It can also be brutal for stations running QRP, low power and/or poor antennas. It is easier on CW than on SSB or RTTY.

If people want the SSB Sprint to survive, they need to recruit other stations to get on the air and participate, whether on a team or not.

73, Dave/K8CC

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