VE5ZX writes:
>
> Unfortunately this sort of thinking does little to encourage new
> participants!
>
> An SO1R participant is a different class of contestant than SO2R
> participant!
Nonsense! A first time contester is ALWAYS in a different class
than an experienced contester. It takes many years to assemble
a competitive station including transceivers, antennas, computers,
amplifiers, and operating skills. Some contesters never reach the
top tier because they don't have the room for big antennas, the
money for the best rigs, don't live in the "favored locations"
or simply have other family and career commitments that prevent
them from spending the time and developing the sill necessary to
reach the pinnacle of the sport.
> The sooner the contest community addresses problems like
> these with some innovative thinking the more likely we will
> be to attract new participants - most, if not all, of which,
> will start off as SO1R and then migrate to SO2R once hooked.
If you want an "entry level" class ... and one that those without
access to the advanced tools can enjoy ... why not include a
"Basic" class in every contest. The "basic" class would allow
one transceiver 100, 150, 200 watts (take your pick) output
and single element antennas no higher than 35' (trap verticals,
flagpoles, inverted L/endfed wires, dipoles/inverted Vs). This
class allows new contesters and those who are limited by HOA or
antenna restrictions to get involved without the need for
a large outlay. Once a new contester gets experience, he/she
can choose which tools make the most sense - whether that be
big antennas, high power, SO2R, better rigs, etc.
In any case, there is no justification for discriminating
against SO2R any more than discriminating against those with
big antennas/stacks or those who live in a "favored" location
for a particular contest.
73,
... Joe, W4TV
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