Kelly,
The topic kinda drove off in another direction. There will never be a
fair DX contest for everyone.
A suggestion was made that maybe USA stations should be able to work
each other for one point. The US hams are the only contestants really
being affected by the zero point rule. VE's can work USA all day long
for a point or two and you have a huge population to work. USA can work
Canada and we have what 100 times fewer people to work. I didn't look
at the numbers of licensed hams in VE.
The European Union is not much different contest wise than the US
states. EU can work EU all day long for points and tons and tons of
mults and there is a growing base of contesting hams in EU.
Instead of people just shutting down the radio and doing something else,
having someone to work for points would be nice for those of us not in
the NE corridor. It won't make that much difference in the scores but
might keep people playing.
I feel bad for making K3LR's 160 op dig out my puny signal probably for
nothing on his end or any of the other USA stations. Should we feel bad
for working our own country for country/zone credit. I heard sorry so
many times. Not really what people should feeling is it?
Short of moving to the east coast what other suggestions do people have
for making the contest more interesting when condx stink? If nothing
continues to be done, you can expect more people to just turn off the
radio on these types of weekends. That result is bad for all.
W0MU
On 11/2/2016 8:59 PM, Kelly Taylor wrote:
A Maidenhead system is not going to change any advantage enjoyed by western
Euros and northeastern Americans (and Maritime Canadians).
The primary advantage these areas enjoy is relatively easy propagation to the
most populous parts of each area.
If I, for example, were to get, say, 2x credit for working longer paths to
Europe than, say, VO1, it won't help me because it's not as though I, if I had
the best station possible in Manitoba, am going to work even half the Europeans
that VO1MP is. I'm sure there have been plenty of times when Gus is running
Euros at astonishing rates on 10 when all we hear is crickets.
Let's say your DX system equals 4x the score per contact. Four times zero is
still zero.
Plus, a Maidenhead system would put some areas of the world into a double
disadvantage. For example, I know I would have far more success running JAs
from W5WMU than I would have from even a comparable station in VE4. So from
VE4, you get fewer distance points (we are closer to JA than Louisiana is), on
contacts that are far more difficult to make.
You can't assume that distance covered is the only factor making contacts more
difficult. It might be the case on 160, but even there, we can't even hear 90
per cent of the stuff you guys work.
73, kelly, ve4xt
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 2, 2016, at 17:04, Trent Sampson <vk4ts@outlook.com> wrote:
Hi Thomas,
You are talking about massive fundamental change to the most popular event on
the calendar.
There is a reason it is the most popular - People like it. (despite the
grumbles)
Adding the complexity to the exchange may or may not work - Your proposal is
almost the same as the recently revived Makrothen RTTY Contest. Another example
of where DX based scoring failed to excite the punter despite the best
intentions of those involved.
My suggestion would be this needs its own weekend and promotion and nothing to
do with the CQWW as we all know and enjoy.
From VK, we know we can win, Single band Worldwide in the CQWW and very rarely
a Multi Op - how do we motivate ourselves ? We reference against our own scores
- If the standard was to win WorldWide from VK we would have quit contesting
years ago.
Distance based ? We would love it - because our paths to anywhere are huge. JA
- 7000km USA West Coast 11,000 EU 15,000 - Apply that to our logs with 5000+
QSOs and I can assure you VK and ZL would become the go to place for Contests
if scoring was distance based.
See you in the Makrothen in 2017 :-)
Regards
Trent Sampson
VK4TS
Po Box 275 Mooloolaba QLD 4557
Mobile 0408497550
-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Thomas
Hammond
Sent: Thursday, 3 November 2016 6:49 AM
To: CQ-Contest@contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] DX Contest
I'm changing the topic from "It's not the sunspots folks" to "DX Contest", since the
discussion changed from propagation to what constitutes a "DX" contest.
If it's a DX contest that you desire, why not change the scoring system to be based on the Maidenhead 2 x 1
degree grid square system that's used in the VHF/UHF world? Logging software would have to be
"enhanced" to perform a real-time calculation of the great circle (short path?) distance between
stations. This way, DX is actually equal to distance, not some political border / boundary. Q's would be Q's,
no matter where, but multipliers would be grid squares, with a weighting based on distance that encourages or
rewards "real DX". This levels the playing field, doesn't it? Now San Diego can work Boston, for
more "DX value" than say London working Paris. It's DX you're trying to encourage, right, not
necessarily Q's?
This would remove the "advantage" that many are arguing Europeans have over
other parts of the world, or that the East Coast has over the West Coast. In this
contest, I could work people in my own city, my own state, my own call area, but my DX
score wouldn't be very good.
For example:
Score = Q's x grid square / distance value, where grid square /distance value =
0-1000 miles, 1 pt
1001-5000 miles, 2 pt
5001-10000 miles, 3 pt
10,001 miles, 4 pt
Yep, log checking would be more complex, too, but of course it would be
automated. Anyone claiming a grid square is a greater distance that it actually
is would have a busted Q.
This scoring system still rewards hams in high population-density areas, so the
weighting would have to be non-linear. Essentially the contest would be less of
a DXCC entity contest and more of true world-wide (work anybody) contest with a
reward for longer-distance Q's.
Interested to hear the pros / cons of a DX contest structured this way. Pardon
me if there is already a contest (I'm not aware of) that is already scored this
way. I think the Stew Perry Top Band Challenge rewards DX Q's by distance, but
that's a one-band contest.
73, Tom
K8BKM
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|