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Re: [CQ-Contest] Released Rules for CQ WW WPX SSB / CW

To: Richard Smith <n6kt1@sbcglobal.net>, "cq-contest@contesting.com" <cq-contest@contesting.com>, Bud Trench <aa3b.bud@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Released Rules for CQ WW WPX SSB / CW
From: Hal Offutt <hal@japancorporateresearch.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:45:01 +0900
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Rich,

I agree 100% with your conclusion but I think you are being a little hard on Bud.  Bud is one of the good guys.  He's a devoted contester, a great op and a radio friend to many of us.  Rather than wanting to play around with the rules for his own excitement and intrigue, I think it more likely that he is being pressured by individuals involved in the WPX management to do something that he probably doesn't really support.  At least I hope that's the case.  But it's a black box, and therein lies the problem:  no transparency, no consultation with fellow competitors and sudden unilateral surprises.

It has been made abundantly clear that this decision is unwelcome to a very large number of serious contesters.  Even those who prefer assisted operating have no interest in preventing their their fellow contesters from competing in the way they prefer.

The real question now is whether the WPX leadership - whoever it is - has the courage to admit their mistake and reverse this divisive decision.  And think about a better process for rule making  in the future.

We'll find out soon.

73, Hal W1NN


On 11/20/2020 7:42 AM, Richard Smith wrote:
  Hi Bud,

It's too bad that you don't seem to have respect for operators who compete the 
contest for which you are now director.

It seems that you intend to change the rules of the WPX Contest based on your 
own desires to play with the contest rules for your own excitement and 
intrigue. I pulled a couple of sentences from your email:

Bud wrote: "I am particularly excited
about the possibilities of increased levels of performance (and scores) in
the Single Operator categories now that QSO alerting systems are available
to all competitors.  ....  The possibilities are intriguing."

A lot of serious contesters have put huge effort into WPX Contest operations and are 
rightly proud of their accomplishments. Does removing a category also result in the 
removal of the score records for which they strived?  Will the SOAB World Records 
and the other records now be discarded, and the huge efforts to achieve them now go 
unheralded?  Would that show respect for the Contesters who achieved those scores?

I'm wondering what other categories will be dropped in the future, if the idea intrigues 
you?  Will Multi-Two and Multi-Multi be combined next year?  Will QRP be combined 
with Low Power?  Will SO2R be combined with Multi-Single?

Sometimes I like to think about Contesting in relation to other sports. I think of 
Contesting as Radiosport. In that vein, I think about Olympic Sports. Would the 
Olympic Committee combine the 100m run with the 100m hurdles?  Would they put 
the Javelin and Shotput together as one event?

I would seriously ask you to rescind the rules changes that you have posted, 
and ask for inputs from the competitors who participate in the WPX Contest, 
before making changes.

73, Rich, N6KT,  PJ4K,  HC8A, etc.

     On Monday, November 16, 2020, 05:47:05 PM PST, Bud Trench 
<aa3b.bud@gmail.com> wrote:
The rules for CQ WW WPX SSB / CW are now posted at the CQ WW WPX Website <
https://www.cqwpx.com/rules.htm >.

The creation of the Multi-Transmitter Distributed category was triggered by
the significant reductions in Multi-operator entries in 2020 as a result of
COVID-19.  Further, it is fully anticipated that COVID-19 will impact the
heritage multi-op participants again in 2021.  I view 2021 as a test case
for the Multi-Transmitter Distributed category, from which we will make
adjustments based on lessons learned.

The reasons for allowing QSO alerting systems in all Single Op Categories
(except the Classic Overlay) have been provided.  I am particularly excited
about the possibilities of increased levels of performance (and scores) in
the Single Operator categories now that QSO alerting systems are available
to all competitors.  How will the top Single Ops from previous years adjust
their operating strategies given that all competitors can leverage increased
access to multipliers and high valued QSOs resulting from QSO alerting
systems?  The possibilities are intriguing.

I anticipated that some participants would prefer to have the option to
compete without using QSO alerting system, so the Single Op Classic Overlay
was continued after its inaugural authorization in the 2020 WPX contests.

The Single Op Classic Overlay category, which was first introduced in WPX in
2020, was shortened from 36 hours to 24 hours to be consistent with the
Classic Overlay category definition used in CQ WW DX.  The Single Op
Classic Overlay continues to support separate scoring and awards in the High
Power and Low Power categories.

73,

Bud AA3B

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