[CQ-Contest] Shorten CW SS

[W5ASP at aol.com]

Dave et al.

I couldn't agree with you more.  While I'm usually slow to push for 
fundamental changes in a major contest, this is one case that cries out for a 
"better way". 

Your point about the dramatic rate of drop-off in available stations to be 
worked resulting from the increased operator skills and especially the use of 
the 2-Radio scheme is the crux of a very real problem.  No amount of 
"newbies" coming into the CW contest will even begin to fill this void.  
Maybe in the Phone SS things will be better... time will tell.

Irrespective of what one might wish the CW SS is over for many operators by 
early afternoon Sunday.  The last six hours are a pretty much vast wasteland. 
 As I tuned the band the last several times, all I heard was a wall to wall 
array of unanswered CQs.  

The only reason a lot of folks are still around is to prevent losing their 
place in the que.  They worked hard to get where there are and don't want to 
quit to soon even though the "fun' is out of it.

I'd be happy to see SS retain fhe full 30 hours but base the results on a 
shorter operating period.  

I had decided even before this weekend that all my future SS efforts would 
focus only on the first 10 hours followed by 4 to 6 hours during the day 
Sunday.  I hung around long enough to pick up VO1MP for the final section, 
and that was pretty much it for me.  I will do the much same for Phone.   

The growing popularity of the NAQP must be telling us something.  Are we 
smart enough to act ?  Unquestionably, SS has to maintain it's uniqueness but 
it's time to consider a bit of modernization to reflect the changing times 
and techniques.

Thanks for the Q.

Joe, W5ASP


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