[CQ-Contest] Where to draw the line, SO2R, etc

[Kurt Andress]

Enduring, but always entertaining discussion......

Finally decided to get on here and have an opinion. Remember, it's just
mine....and of little significance in the grand scheme of things.

The creation of new categories should only be considered if they will
increase the level of activity and the enjoyment of the participants.
Trying to satisfy everyone's notion of a "level playing field" is an
exercise in futility!

Am I hearing that creating a distinction between SO1R & SO2R would have
made a lot more guys happy and enticed them to put in full efforts last
weekend, resulting in more contacts in my log? That would have increased
my enjoyment!

Everyone gets to decide where to draw his own line, and define why he
participates in this sport. 
Last weekend a lot of people drew a line somewhere between the contest
and the holiday get together. I don't think any myriad of category
modifications would have changed that!
There wasn't much US activity in the new T/S category this year, some
guys that were in it last year opted for a different category, others
did it again and got better results. 
I don't see that it has changed the face of the contest, just some SOAB
entries appearing under a new heading, not 100 new entries because of
the new category. So much for lots of whining about making a place for
the little guys, then having none of them show up!

Some guys in my category got higher scores. Could I have achieved those
scores? Who knows, I didn't! Did I put in a flawless effort? No! Have I
done everything to make my station the best it can be? No! 
Is something about all of it unfair? Maybe, maybe not. Does it really
matter to me? Nope!
Is finishing 4th or 5th in the T/S category any different than finishing
11th or 30th (depending on who shows up)in the unlimited class? 
No, and we all understand that!
Do we all know that there are a few very highly skilled operators at a
few stations that are uniquely qualified to duke it out for "the win"?
Yes! Does that make the rest of us just pack it in and not show up?
Apparently not!

If the definition of contest enjoyment is winning the contest, then
there are a lot of unhappy people out there on any given weekend!

I choose not to be one of them! 

This is a hobby and I do it because I can enjoy it. If you can't, don't
do it, try something else! What provides my entertainment may differ
from yours, some of it is station building, some of it is operating,
most of it is about learning more and getting better at all of the
aspects that are involved.

Furthermore, not being able to have all the toys I wish I had, doesn't
make me want to quit!
I have two old TS930's that aren't worth 1/2 of one of those new rigs.
So....?,they still work fine and I'd rather have two of them than one
new rig, my choice. Why, because I get way more fun and education out of
the two radios I can afford, than the one I can't! So much for the "SO2R
is cost prohibitive" arguement! Doesn't pass muster here.

Now, I only have one amp and one tribander. But, I want to have more fun
and learn more, so instead of convincing myself that I can't do a SO2R
and can't be competitive, because I don't have enough toys, I just
figure out how to run the two radios thru the one amp and the tribander. 
Would I have done something completely different without the T/S class?
Not much, just use a simple high band rotating dipole that was illegal
for T/S. Would it have dramatically changed my score? Nope! Would I have
had more fun with that? Maybe, maybe not, hard to say.

I got some station building fun, I got a great operating challenge, I
learned a lot. 

My requirements from my hobby were satisfied.....sure I'd have been more
pleased with a better score, but it's my score, and it's my job to
figure out how to improve my performance next time, that means more fun!

Could I ever win a contest? Maybe, maybe not. Does that determine what I
do and how I enjoy my hobby? Nope! I can only work on being the best I
can be with what I can do. A chance at winning something comes after
that, not before.
Would a new category just made for me make me more active in the
contests? Nope!

If y'all want to change/add/delete/modify etc. the categories, fine!
Just make sure it makes some sense and is gonna enhance the sport!

It is not likely to change what some of us do. 

Gotta go figure out what to do next...

See ya the next time we all go out to get what we want out of the hobby,
hope everyone gets theirs....it's probably more readily available
between your ears than via external legislative intervention.

-- 
73, Kurt, K7NV


--
CQ-Contest on WWW:        http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests:  cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com