Here are my (K5NA's) comments on Daive's requirements suggestions:
>1 Each contest to last from "local dawn to dusk" not from 'x' hours Zulu
Not good, even though I knew you meant local dusk to dawn. That would give
more operating hours to areas further north than need the advantage least.
Daive, just because you are getting old, like me, doesn't mean that the
hours of your favorite contests should be shortened.
>2 Points based upon radial measurement from stations QTH.
I have always thought this was a good idea but near impossible to implement.
How about 5 points per QSO for contacts between CQ zones that are physically
touching and 10 points per QSO between zones that don't touch?
>3 Band split into 3, .....non participants....US EAST + US West.....DX....
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this?
>4 DX to US qsos can only be between windows ie split freq only.
I am not necessarily in favor of this being the ONLY way of making DX to USA
QSOs. How about a window where only DX could transmit working only USA in
another window where only the USA could transmit. An example would be only
DX stations transmitting from 1830-1840 KHz and listening 1840-1850 KHz and
vice versa for USA stations. On the other frequencies (1800-1830 KHz and
1850-2000 KHz) all simplex QSOing would be allow, ie. DX/USA, DX/DX, and
USA/USA. The size of the windows could be downsized for the CW contests.
>5 Each organiser must appoint someone who's job is to tune the band logging
>infringements. Disqualification rewards bad operating behaviour.
Bad idea. Who would want to do this even if there wasn't the potental for
legal problems to result. The only station I can think of that would delight
in this task might be WA4D.
>6 QSO must include serial number, lets reintroduce some skill into the qso
I really agree with this idea. The serial number was removed years ago in
this contest because it was felt that copying an exchange was too difficult
on 160 meters. At that time, the contest managers thought that just copying
the callsign was significant. Of course, this was before SUPER CHECK
PARTIAL. In addition to putting the serial number back into the exchange, I
would suggest that the contest manager also check for whether the stations
actually copy the serial number correctly. Otherwise, it is wasted. Only the
ARRL currently checks for correctly copied exchanges.
>Thats enough to begin with, I will await the shark attack...
No sharks here. Just an ongoing love of 160M contests.
>As far as packet and more recently internet spotting is concerned that is
>something for general debate, I personally think that the word contest has
>lost its meaning in the context of our activities...its hardly a contest if
>you pit David against Goliath, no matter what the fable said, in the real
>world the big guy wins.....So how far do we go to make more qsos than the
>competition?? Answer...as far as the rules allow. What do we want to do
>about this fiasco??
Years ago, before packet, I repeatly heard a few of the major single-op
competitors in the 160M contests being notified, by their friends, about the
presence and frequency of DX mults on the band. This was done on their run
frequency and was within the rules although I didn't like the idea very
much. Maybe I was jealous.
The packet spotting is the same thing. As long as the single-op operator,
himself, isn't using packet, then his friends are free to spot him every 5
or 10 minutes. Also it is standard practice for multi-op stations to
systematically go though the user lists on the PacketCluster network and beg
for QSOs using talk messages. The larger PacketCluster networks certainly
contribute to an advantage. I don't think there is anything you can do about
this and rulemaking to limit it would be a problem.
>Thouhts, ideas, grumbles and mumbles, lets hear it all and lets DO SOMETHING!
>
>Regards to you all, without you 160 would be really boring!!
>
>Dave AA0RS / G3SZA
I have never thought a 160 contest was boring. I did some of my best reading
at noontime while listening to the CQ button repeat itself.
73, Richard
K5NA@BGA.COM
|