First - NO CHANGE IN LENGTH OF CURRENT 48 HOUR CONTESTS!!!
But how about a new "24-hour, S/O" category.
Yeah, I know, it sounds wimpy. After all, everyone on this reflector is a
power contester, and we hate wimpy efforts. In order to decrease the wimp
factor, some folks have suggested that 24 hours would be OK, but has to be
24 "contiguous" hours, starting at some set time like noon Saturday. (What
time is noon Saturday? 1200Z, 1200L, 1200R?)
If the reason for a 24 hour category is to draw participation from folks
who are discouraged by our 48 hour, all-or-nothing format, then
24-hour-straight, all-or-nothing really isn't much better.
I'd like to suggest a 24 hour out of 48, but the 24 hours can be used in
"chunks" at the operators choice. Impose minimum time off, as in SS, and
only your FIRST 24 active hours count. (You can stay beyond 24 hours to
fill DXCC holes, etc, but if you submit as "24HR" category, only first 24
count.) S/O only.
Now, "Joe Twentyfour" can participate with a goal of winning something. A
possible time track might look something like the following:
0000-0600 Sat: On the air. Boy, this contesting stuff is fun!
0600-1200 Sat: Sleeping.
1200-1600 Sat: Gotta go to the kids hockey tournament.
1600-2400 Sat: Back on the air. Never heard so many stations on
40!
0000-0400 Sun: Dinner and movie on TV.
0400-0600 Sun: Nice Caribbean opening on 80.
0600-1600 Sun: Sleep, church, lunch with kids
1600-2400 Sun: Fresh for the final eight hours.
This has an advantage to the rest of us (over the 24-hour contiguous idea)
in that it spreads the participation over the entire weekend, including the
dreaded Sunday afternoon doldrums.
Comments?
Hans K0HB
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