On 6/18/02 9:25 AM, Dave Hachadorian at K6LL@adelphia.net wrote:
>
>2. There are a lot of stations around the world
>who have a small tower and tribander
>in the back yard, and an assortment of low,
>seriously compromised antennas for 40,
>80, and 160. There is not much incentive for these
>stations to get on the air in the
>all band category, since they know that they
>cannot turn in a competitive score. On the
>other hand, a tribander can do a quite creditable
>job on the high bands, which would
>encourage activity.
I know I'm a bit late to the party on this issue, but I'd like to
disagree with Dave here. I believe there's an errant assumption at work
here.
If the sole purpose of operating contests was to put in a winning score,
then the sport would soon dwindle down to just a dozen or so "serious"
contesters.
The guys (like me) with a small tower and tribander and compromised
antennas for the other bands aren't necessarily competing against
everyone else in the same category. Sometimes, we're just out to turn in
a better score than last year, or to beat the guy down the street, or in
the next county.
The small tower / tribander guys are already going to be concentrating on
the higher bands -- that's where their stations are effective. I don't
see where a high/low band split would encourage activity here. If
anything, it might lower single band scores on the lower bands since
folks won't bother even trying them out.
I don't think you encourage activity by limiting bands -- why not a TS
category, like that in WPX? (Although this has it's own inequities, as a
guy with a C51XR at 100 feet likely outclasses the guy with a HF4B at 20
feet)
>To me, the payoff in any contest is to enjoy the
>contest experience itself, and, afterward, to
>to see how I ranked, with the data arranged the
>way I like to see it presented.
I really like seeing the internet results. I found out I was #78 out of a
field of 800-odd in low-power SS Phone. Maybe this year, I can break into
the top 50 again.
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr@arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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