Hans, I worked my first sweepstakes in 1963. Believe me, what I'm
proposing would make SS feel much like what I experienced back then. There was
good activity on all bands, seemingly endless pool of stations to work.
There were big guns with pileups even on Sunday afternoon. There were little
pistols like myself that were still using their Novice gear with the addition
of a VFO. Some stations only worked a single band, because they were using
Command Sets. We had the same variations in stations and capabilities just like
we do today, we simply didn't have the technology to build a contest
infrastructure that would support tracking and scoring a broad diversity of
effort.
We aren't really changing anything, we are simply acknowledging activities
that already exist inside the existing SS structure and expanding scoring to
include those realities.
Think about when Sweepstakes was two weekends! Eventually operators and
equipment improved to the point that the second weekend became like a long
Sunday afternoon for many. The duration of the contest changed, and the
contest was good for another several years. We're now in a crisis, because
technology and operating skills have allowed us to do so much more in much less
time. One answer to this "problem" is to make the contest shorter, but if we
cut the contest down to less than 24 hours (or even 30 hours) we lose the
ability to experience the full daily propagation cycle, and the fun and
strategy that goes with it.
I humbly suggest that we look inside the existing time block and find out what
we can do to better fill that time. Longer exchanges? Hell, no! Splitting the
time into a high band and low band segment? No, it only limits options and
ignores propagation. So we're left with is opening up the contest to a huge
increase in QSOs and scoring opportunities by allowing a QSO per band and
perhaps multipliers per band as well. Additionally, we have people in SS that
can only operate one band, for a variety of reasons. Let them compete as a
single-band entry! Let others even compete for single band awards on several
bands if they wish. Consider incentives that will increase participation!
Or shall we just watch this contest die over the next several years?
Paul, K5AF
I clearly remember that during my first few sweepstakes I was
In a message dated 11/8/2017 3:53:21 PM Central Standard Time,
kzerohb@gmail.com writes:
That sounds like an interesting new contest.
But it isn’t Sweepstakes.
On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 15:19 Paul Schaffenberger via CQ-Contest
<cq-contest@contesting.com> wrote:
From: paulkb8n@aol.com
To: CQcontest@contesting.Com, ed.n3cw@gmail.com
Cc: CQcontest@contesting.Com
Sent: 11/8/2017 9:55:30 AM Central Standard Time
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Some SSCW Ideas
Once again, let me restate the simplest and the most inclusive way to do this
contest. This would be the most competitive and the most wide-open contest
ever! Something for everyone, emphasizing participation! This potentially
keeps a most bands available throughout the contest period.
QSO's: Once per band.
Operating Categories: Single band*, high band, low band and all band.
*Single band stations could operate and post scores on up to three bands, but
low, high and all band competitors cannot post single band scores from inside
their overall log. Any station could participate and provide QSOs on every
band regardless of their competition status. Therefore, a single band
competitor (or a hi or low band competitor) could operate on open bands and
provide QSOs to stations competing there. In place of a number, those stations
would send "NC" instead of a number (non-competitor) and the rest of the
exchange. The QSO would still provide points and multtipliers.
Power categories: Same.
Time frame: Same, operate 24 of 30 hours
QSOs - once per band. Tradition band modes only, digital mode contests should
be separate events.
Registration: Each competitor wishing to compete, be eligible for awards and
have scores listed in QST must declare their specific category within 24 hours
of the start of the contest. Once submitted, the category cannot be changed.
Result: More categories, more chances for QSOs, more opportunity for awards,
more band activity, more participation from stations with limited band
choices. More fun!
We have the technology to easily adopt these changes. Let's keep the same
basics of Sweepstakes (power categories and operating time) and change the
internals to create crazy-fun competition!
Paul, K5AF
In a message dated 11/7/2017 9:57:15 AM Central Standard Time,
ed.n3cw@gmail.com writes:
Some ideas for consideration for future SSCW contests:
1. Keep the same start time, but make the SSCW contest a 12 hour one.
Would eliminate the boring Sunday afternoons and leave more time for
football.
2. Make the first 12 hours for 80 and 40 meters, and the second 12
hours for 20, 15, and 10. Reset the "stations worked" clock for the second
segment.
3. Make the first 12 hours for CW, and the second 12 for FT8. I think
FT8 contests are coming. Should be easy to modify the s/w for a more
meaningful exchange, and integrate FT8 and N1MM for logging.
4. Reconfigure the format to two CW segments, perhaps 6 to 8 hours
apiece, with one on Saturday and one on Sunday.
5. Make the second 12 hours have a rule change that everyone has to
change their entry power somehow. HP goes to LP, LP goes to QRP or HP, etc.
The second 12 hour "stations worked" clock would be reset. Might essentially
be two separate contests over the one weekend for reporting purposes.
6. Have two SS weekends as we do now, but have the first weekend CW for
first 12 hours, then SSB for second 12 hours. Alternate this for the second
SS weekend - SSB for first 12 hours, CW for second 12.
7. Operate SS normally for the first 12 hours. Take a break, get some
sleep. Then consider a one or two hour CW "drag race" Sunday late afternoon
or early evening, where stations return to the air and go for max score in
that one or two hour window. Reset the "stations worked" clock. Essentially
two separate contests.
Just trying to think of something new.
--Ed-
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73, de Hans, K0HB
--
"Just a boy and his radio"™
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