May Sprint

[Rick]

Gentlemen:
     I'm not sure where the 40/20/15 May Sprint idea started, but let me
give a few comments about a May Sprint.
     1.  An idea which had been tossed around a few months ago was to
add a May Sprint and make it low power only.  Although the idea has some
merit, we decided not to do it right now since Tree had just taken over
cw and I was going to be moving soon.  Neither of us felt we could do it
justice over the next 6 months or so.  We will be reviewing options in
the next few months.  Keep in mind that administration of the Sprints
is not effort-free.
     2.  Although the Sprint has had the same format since inception, I
fail to see how it is any more or less boring than any other domestic
contest.  Depending on where you are in the country, you will have certain
operating methods which change only in response to the sunspot cycle (in
broad terms, of course).  Sprint is no different, except that you only have
three bands from which to choose, and it comes twice a year (so you get to
do the same thing twice a year rather than once).
     3.  A 40/20/15 Sprint would seem to be more of an advantage to the
west coast.  I'm not sure you can establish a contest period which will be
equitable to both coasts.
     4.  At the risk of opening up a can of worms, think about a five-hour
Sprint.  One hour on each band (10-80), with gaps between.  So, maybe have
10 meters be in the 16Z period, 15 meters be in the 19Z period, 20 meters in
the 22Z period, 40 meters in the 00Z hour, and 80 meters in the 03Z hour.
Maybe entrants can be allowed all band or single band.  Kind of a radical
idea.  One weekend cw and one phone (or maybe one day cw and one phone).
Just a thought.

                              Rick, K7GM