[CQ-Contest] ARRL exchange

[Ivo Pezer, 5B4ADA/9A3A]

It looks to me that changing the exchange in CQWW would result in changing
the zone multiplier to something else. Would The Contest be ever the same
without those juicy "double multipliers"?
These are my thoughts about my favorite contests, regardless of the
exchange.

I think that every contest has something unique, so I consider ARRL to be
a "rate" contest if proximity or condx permit good signal into US/VE. If
one thinks EUs or JAs are thrilled working K1AR, K3LR, W3LPL etc over and
over again - they are not. It's contesting what keeps all those people
inside their shacks, working the same stations again and maybe trying to
beat their last year score, or just work as many as possible on 6 bands.
CQ WW is mixture of "rate" and "band changing" because to keep your
multiplier totals high, one has to sacrifice pile ups sometimes in order
to work JA or UA0s on 160/80 for a double multipliers. Strategy plays big
role in CQ WW compared to some other contests. Just look how many people
travel world wide to enjoy meaningless exchange (but record breaking
rates).
CQ WPX is unique for higher low band points, so even you enjoy running
pile ups and not worrying about moving multipliers, it is a must to spend
most of the night time on low bands if you want to make big score. Unlike
ARRL and CQWW, you can't run 300+ for a long time. Check last years'
scores and note many DX peditions in both CW and Phone WPX. Not long ago
it was possible to win SOAB WPX from EU (and USA, if I'm not wrong).
IARU, being a 24 hour contest, gives you a chance to run but if you miss
your time on low bands, your score won't be impressive, regardless of your
QSO totals. More and more contesters mark IARU on their calendars and
DA0HQ QSO totals are probably for Guinness Book of Records (18,000 QSOs in
24 hours).
For those who don't like "meaningless" exchange, DARC WAE is one to enjoy
- QTCs are something both DX and EU stations should not overlook. Whoever
thinks that contesting is only rates, is wrong. WAE can produce
frustrating rates (even for a top equipped contest station), but I still
consider it one of my favorite contests. EUs best S/P practice for CQ WW
should be WAE. How can I forget EI4DW, GW3HGJ, 9H1EL (missed you this year
Jeff), ES4MM and many others who call us year after year for a new
multipliers and keep us calling till the last minute.
And there are many more to enjoy, like Stew Perry, All Asian, EU HF
C'ship, many national contests with a variety of contest exchange, so we
should not worry too much about contest exchange as long as records are
being broken. As long as there is enough activity, we should enjoy each
one in it's own uniqueness. An exchange is just an exchange.
And don't forget that ANY CONTESTING IS BETTER THAN NO CONTESTING.

CU WAE Phone,
Ivo 5B4ADA/C4A


Hans - K0HB wrote:

> Doug Brandon wrote:
>
> > I GUARANTEE you that if the exchange for CQWW ever changes (or maybe
> > if anybody even brings it up!  hi), all hell will break loose.
>
> That has to be the lamest exchange in all of contesting!  If you (or
> your band map) can copy the call sign, your computer will figure out
> the zone.  Why even bother?
>
> Some time, for the fun of it, just stroke up CT on CQWW CW
> weekend and work whatever your bandmap shows, without copying a
> single dit.  I think you might accumulate a rather tidy score to
> report on 3830, and you could have a codeless tech for your second
> op.
>
> 73, de Hans, K0HB
>
> --
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