One thing I find interesting about this "Lets level the playing field"
discussion is that every serious contester works hard to make sure its
NOT a level playing field. We try to gain the upper hand through
better/higher/more antennas, beams and anything else we can buy or
build that will "give us the edge we need" over the competition. Same
thing in the shack - newer/better/quieter radios, magic boxes that we
think will help that little bit - all in an effort to win.
Sure - geography plays a part. So does the operator skill, the
ionosphere and a hundred other variables - some under our control,
others not. Add it all up, and even despite our best efforts -
sometimes we don't or can't win a certain competition. Life's just
not fair sometimes. What to do? Well, we can give up, but that's too
easy! A quitter can never win.
>From where I live, I know that no matter what I do, or how many
antennas I install, there are certain contests that I cannot win.
Instead, I choose to still get on, do my best and have fun. At the
same time, I have built a station that CAN and HAS won other
competitions. You win some - you loose some, and I am sure I am not
alone in this regard..
Bottom line - compete on your own terms. If winning is so darned
important, and geography is standing in your way, then I guess you
need to move. If you don't want/need/can't move, then I guess winning
is not THAT important. Changing the rules to hobble the competition
in order to "level the playing field" will not change that, and if it
did, I am not sure I would want to win that way.
If you want a level playing field - well - that is what the WRTC is
for, but first you need to level the playing field to get there :-)
Tom - VE3CX
> I applaud NQ4I for being vocal about this issue. But, I think he is
> delusional
> like me! It seems that Rick and I still think that if we put up a big enough
> station and continue to improve our operating abilities that someday we can
> win
> one of these big DX contests. Granted my fanciful thinking has abated over
> the
> years and I've become accustomed to comparing my scores to others in my
> general
> geographic areas and sometimes getting lucky enough to nip at the heels of the
> big boys. Unfortunately I think that the vast majority of participants have
> come to the same conclusion.... you have to be close to Europe to have a shot
> at
> competing or winning. Distance based scoring will help to alleviate this
> notion. It will motivate people to push harder that otherwise might not have
> spent the time to put in a full time effort. This means that you might start
> seeing some new call signs popping into the top ten box that haven't shown up
> before. Maybe some of the regulars get pushed out. We don't have to be
> afraid
> of change.
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|