I agree, Tree.
The problem, unique to VHF+, is Rovers. I work +/- 200 Rover QSOs, with
perhaps 6 callsigns. Lots of QSOs, not a lot of unique stations.
Using both metrics, unique calls AND number of QSOs might be a better way to
observe numbers of active stations AND whether QSO counts increase or
decrease across the board. Taken singly, I don't know if either is more
useful than the number of logs submitted.
We're seeing a truth here - the number of logs submitted have decreased.
That's no question. What does that indicate, though? Dissatisfaction with
the submission mechanism? Actual numbers of participants falling? Rovers and
M/M stations absorbing some usual S/O stations? The only answer is "the
number of logs submitted have decreased". That's all we can really infer.
However, knowing that (pulling numbers from my butt) there were 27 fewer
unique callsigns worked, 341 fewer QSOs, and 775 total logs submitted - that
can point more directly at the root causes. F'rinstance, there was an ice
storm in the northeast that took down antennage, etc. Of those 27 fewer
calls, were most of em in the northeast? if so - you've got your cause
(within reason). Yeah, this is certainly an inexact science, too - but it's
only one tool we've got available to us now.
At present, the body of data is small. But we need to start somewhere to
analyze what's "wrong" with this picture. It'd be foolish to say "we gotta
fix it" when all we know is what's happening, and not WHY.
Mark, K2AXX
ABCD9EFHGIJP
FN12cs
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tree [mailto:tree@kkn.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 1:45 PM
> To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] More insights - Log Submittals
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 16, 2003 at 09:17:00AM -0400, Hoffman, Mark wrote:
>
> > If it's been done, I've not seen it. Writeups provide
> numbers of logs. Those
> > numbers are obviously falling by the wayside. Wayne (N7NG)
> or Dan (N1ND) -
> > if you are reading this - could it be done? I'd like to see
> numbers like
> > this. It'd easily represent whether we're losing people
> that just aren't
> > playing vs. those playing and not submitting.
>
> I know for a fact that N7NG and N1ND have looked at numbers
> of participants
> for the SS and DX contests, because they asked me to supply
> them. I also
> believe they are now getting numbers like that for the VHF
> contests. The
> problem with them is that they don't have much history with
> these numbers
> to make comparisons with - where they do for the logs received number.
>
> I would agree that participation is probably the more
> important metric to
> measure.
>
> And perhaps something like an estimate of the total number of
> actual QSOs
> made is more important than the number of stations who got on.
>
> Tree N6TR
> tree@kkn.net
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