Steve is right, I stand corrected. The SS contests do not have negative
growth. The actual facts are that in the last sunspot cycle the Phone
portion was running 1600 - 1700 logs submitted and in this sunspot cycle
they are running more like 1675 - 1910. The CW portion was 1250 - 1350 and
today is 1300 - 1450. Both flat to up about 10%.
Vs the 100% increase in CQWW it just felt like negative growth. The point
is that the scoring system and the DX that the CQ contests create are in no
way affecting the total participation. It sounds like its affecting
individual decisions on which contest to operate in. Which is fine.
Contrary to popular belief, I do not do SS actively at all but it has
nothing to do with the fact that the scoring prevents a North East station
from winning it just as often as CQ WW prevents the other way around (N2IC
won CQWW by the way so the fact that one year someone probably won from the
Northeast doesn't change the facts folks). It has to do with making
decisions on contesting time vs other priorities in life. There are 12
contests between the end of Oct and the end of March that I would mostly
enjoy doing, I have time for a little over half of them typically. And
secondly, I find SS completely and utterly boring for 50% of the contest so
the decision of which ones to start dropping off the list immediately starts
with SS every year. If people make the reverse decision on the West Coast,
I completely understand and would probably do the same. But I wouldn't try
and change the contests I opt out of. I just accept these are decisions in
life.
73
Ed N1UR
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