Hi, Art. Interesting discussion. NO - PVRC and NCCC have not ruined SS! On
the contrary, by competing with each other, they have enhanced SS
tremendously, increasing activity in the sections we occupy to the benefit
of all participants. NCCC thanks PVRC for WV and DE help and PVRC is
welcome to our (NCCC's) help with SF and SJV. But the competition can not
have the same tenor every year.
We have an annual debate in NCCC about whether to include SS in our "focus
contests" for the club year. Many of us are bored of SS and tired of having
our arms twisted to operate "the other mode." So last year (Nov. 2012), SS
wasn't a focus contest and the results show it. I'm delighted with this
respite from the ordinary and with the new, internal push to operate more
of the other contests. But I'm sure NCCC will come back some day and try to
regain the SS gavel.
This thread hasn't mentioned the new NCCC-PVRC-SMC inter-club competition
in NAQP. I think that will stimulate a lot of new activity in NAQP. The
rules include an unusual "participants multiplier" that NCCC is also using
in an internal three-team competition in other contests this year. Although
I have mixed feelings about it, it appears to be effective in generating
incremental activity. And that's a good thing.
73,
/Rick
On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 2:27 AM, Art Boyars <artboyars@gmail.com> wrote:
> No official position here. Just a long-time SSer and PVRC member, with
> friends in NCCC.
>
> After many years of complaining that "Packet has ruined Ham Radio" (and you
> can double that for the RBN!), my thoughts turn to another aspect of my
> favorite contest -- SS (CW, mostly, but have worked 'Phone "for the Club")
>
> As I recall (that is, I'm too lazy to do the research) several years ago
> NCCC cranked up to win SS, even cleverly using the K8MR-invented SOMS (NCCC
> called it "HMO"). Great! SacV and Sfo were no longer rare. (I SAID I was
> a long-time SSer.)
>
> After getting beaten for a few years, PVRC responded by increasing
> membership and stressing SS participation, and won about three in a row
> thru 2011. (I had a small part in that. After my first win ever -- CW MDC
> SOLP -- in 2010, I helped recruit two guys who are now beating me
> handily.) Somewhere in there was the honorable incident where PVRC
> discovered that some of their claimed scores were actually outside the
> limits of the club circle, and ceded the victory.
>
> The 2012 results seem to indicate that NCCC did not even challenge PVRC
> that year (nor did anybody else). Is this good?
>
> My impression is that the NCCC-PVRC competition increased activity -- more
> QSOs for everybody! BUT -- did the other Op's get tired of working SCV,
> etc., and then MDC-VA-NC, etc. (incl formerly semi-rare WV, and sometimes
> where-the-heck-is-DE)?
>
> PVRC will probably still push SS participation (again, no official position
> here), but if there is no challenge will SS still be fun for the rest of
> you casual-to-semi-serious operators? ("Serious operators" -- even Little
> Pistols -- would still be active if the rules made us log with quill and
> ink on parchment. Hold on while I sharpen this turkey feather.)
>
> Will NCCC be able to re-motivate? Will anybody else push PVRC?
>
> Any thoughts or comments?
>
> Isn't this more fun than debating whether Xeroxing pages out of the
> Callbook is the same as Single Op?
>
> 73, Art K3KU
--
Rick Tavan N6XI
Truckee, CA
--
Rick Tavan N6XI
Truckee, CA
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