----- Original Message -----
From: <K1AR@aol.com>
To: <vhfplus@bmg50.com>; <dx35@hilding.com>
Cc: <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 9:21 PM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] [NCCC] Annual Suggestion
> This has as much to do with solar conditions as anything. When the sun
> wakes
> up, there will be plenty to do for 48 hours. That's just not the case
> now.
>
Well, maybe and maybe not. I looked at the 2002 CQWW phone results and ONE
all-band stateside single op went all 48 - K4ZW. KQ2M, N9RV, WB9Z, K3ZO,
and K3CR did not. The DX operations may likely have gone longer as a whole.
> Frankly, and no pun intended, this debate is tiring. We don't need more
> categories. There are already too many. Just ask anyone who is on the
> admin side
> of the table. As it stands now for the CQ WW contest, nearly 2% of all
> entries
> receive a plaque and over 1/3 win a certificate for their operating
> category.
>
> If we introduced a 36-hour group, a subset of those operators who
> continue
> to "lose" in their newly created category would want to parse it further.
> It's
> an endless downward spiral.
>
I agree given that you're now going to have all sorts of 36 hour categories.
Look, the fact of the matter is not a lot of hams can go a full 48. Even at
my age - 33 - its VERY hard and I've actually not done it. I blame that on
2 young kids.....I've done 45 hours - last year's WW and felt like crap
afterwards. However, I DO NOT think that the inability for most to complete
the marathon should mean that we should simply cut the last 6 miles out of
the marathon. Those who can may - and usually get top billing. Those who
can't will have to settle with the possibility that they're not going to
win. Snooze, you lose as they say.
In any event, 36 hours in a DX country oriented countest is very, very
harsh. You can get away with it in WPX where everyone has the possibility
of being DX, but it really is not a good option for major worldwide
contests. From the US perspective, a 36 hour limite basically means
sleeping from say 0200 to 0800 if you want to sleep when the Euros sleep or
sleep from 0500 to 1100 to avoid the low bands. But by doing so, you're
killing single band entrants who rely upon those who are trying to keep
active and awake - even at meager 35 and 45 an hour QSO rates. And, you're
killing Pacific and JA entrants.
73 Rich NN3W
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