[CQ-Contest] When and why did rules change?

[Bill Coleman AA4LR]

On 5/3/00 12:13 PM, John Unger at w4au at contesting.com wrote:

>
>This year's and, from the description of the results, last year's
>WPX TS category reads "tribander/single element".

Yup, that's the category as it has always been defined. The 1998 results 
with "single wire" must have been a typographical error.

>I don't remember there being any discussion of this change, but my
>memory sometimes is not all that great... The reason I'm asking is
>that I don't think the escalation of antenna type was a good idea. A
>single wire is such a simple antenna while a rotating dipole(s)
>seems like a big step up from that.

See the official contest rules:
<http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/n8bjq/2000RULES.htm>

"Tribander/Single Element (TS): Tribander (any type) with a single 
feedline from the transmitter to the antenna and single element (TS) 
category. During the contest, an entrant shall use only one (1) tribander 
for 10, 15, 20 meters and single-element antennas on 40, 80, and 160"

I think this is an excellent set of rules, as it clearly defines the 
category without limiting its configuration.

As to different configurations not being even competitors, I could 
operate with a complete set of Rhombics or V-beams for 40, 80, and 160 
and still fall in either the contest TS or the Tribander / Single wire 
category you've defined. Also, there's a huge difference between, say, a 
Butternut HF5B and a KT34XA, yet both are classified as tribanders. 

>Also, didn't the original rules also have a height limitation for
>the tribander?

I don't recall any such limit. 

--

The only thing "wrong" with the TS category is that an OWA cell dipole 
for 80/75 meters wouldn't qualify, because the OWA cell has two (or more) 
elements. 

PS - I've frequently operated in the TS with no T category....


Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at radio.org
Quote: "Boot, you transistorized tormentor! Boot!"
            -- Archibald Asparagus, VeggieTales


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