[CQ-Contest] CQ WPX CONTEST SURVEY RESULTS 1

[T. A. Russell]

WPX  SURVEY  RESULTS

To date, 50 replies have been received, plus 3 prior opinions, on the
three issues presented.  The results are as follows:

QSO POINT VALUE

ALL  QSO'S  EQUAL			  4	  3.7%
3/2/1 - 3 Intercontinent, 2 diff cty, 1 same
country	40	75.5%
3/2/1/0 - ZERO pts for same country (no change)   7	13.1%
NO  PREFERENCE			  2	  3.7%	  

TOTAL  VOTES			   	53	100%



DURATION

30 HOURS  (ORIGANAL NUMBER)		30	56.6%
36 HOURS  (PRESENT  NUMBER)		13	24.5%
NO PREFERENCE			10	18.9%

TOTAL  VOTES				53	100%



CW  WPX  DATE

APRIL					35	66.0%
MAY					  3	  5.7%
NO  PREFERENCE			15	28.3%

TOTAL VOTES				53	100%


The overwhelming majority favored all three proposed changes.

Strict DX'ers like the present system of ZERO points for one's own 
country.  Pure-bred contesters like the idea of having ALL contacts of
equal value, giving participants from large countries equal value for all
contacts.  DX participants fear that such a system would allow USA
stations to dominate the contest and make it a domestic USA competition. 


The proposed 3-2-1 system found the most favor (75.5% of the vote),
eliminating the inequity of the ZERO point contacts within large
countries while retaining an international bias.  Most felt that with 
this system, when the bands were open to other continents, it was
prudent to work DX, leaving local contacts for slow times to DX areas.
With a 3 to 1 ratio, 40 intercontinental contacts would provide the same
number of contact points as 120 domestic contacts.  This is still a great
incentive to maximize the number of DX contacts.

There was a smaller majority (66%) in favor of returning to the shorter
(30 hour) format versus retaining the present (36 hour) competition
(24.5%) for single operators.  Many (18.9%) had no preference.

For the CW   WPX   Contest, of those who had a preference, the
overwhelming majority (66%) voted to move it to late April versus the
small minority (5.7%) who voted to keep it in May (Memorial Day Holiday
weekend in the USA).

Thanks to all for your participation in this survey.  The results will be
sent to N8BJQ and CQ Magazine.

73 de Tom Russell - N4KG



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