Dumbing-down contests. Now there is an oxymoron. Contest exchanges have
pushed the envelope of technology with prefill files, exchange guessing and
embedded log entries in contest programs. K5ZD's super-check partial files
provide likely call signs in contests. What we have been doing since the
invention of the electronic keyer is ADVANCING the art of contesting through
technology. While the basic format of major contests should not change (for
consistency of the objectives) technology improvement is never ending and
advances contesting just as it advances our daily lives. My station held
many CQ WW M/S records during the 80's. Since computers, the "record" 3.7Meg
scores would not even place in the top ten these days.
When we invented NAQP we left out the useless signal report, yet it still
remains in many contest exchanges. In the FOC Marathon and in VHF contests,
accurate reports are still given and logged. If copying accuracy is your
forte, the SS and WPX are for you. If rapid exchanges and band-change
strategy are more fun for you, the CQ WW and ARRL DX should be high on your
list.
Cut numbers are a symptom in ARRL CW that the DX exchange sucks and is ripe
for change. They are not clever tools for operator skills enhancement.
Tom Taormina, K5RC
Virginia City NV
<http://www.k5rc.cc> www.k5rc.cc
FOC 1760
NACHO-W7RN RANN-K7RC
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|