[CQ-Contest] off times

[Bill Coleman AA4LR]

On 9/21/00 7:49 PM, Rick Bullon at kc5ajx at hotmail.com wrote:

>Why is there an off time for single ops in contests????

Several reasons. 1) it increases participation by allowing some "serious" 
entries to take part, even if they have to miss a few hours of the 
contest for one reason or another. Some entrants would either not try, or 
quit if it was evident they could not operate the entire contest period. 
(eg when Murphy strikes) 2) it recognizes the limitations of most humans 
-- there's only a handful of people in the world who can physically 
operate 48 hours straight. 3) It helps to equalize propagational 
differences between certain areas of the world (eg the old WPX 30-hour 
rule) 4) It adds an element of strategy to the contest. Picking your 
off-times is an important element in maximizing your score.

>  There are even 12 hour contests that limit the single op to 10 
>hours(NAQP)! Come now I am capable of working a contest for 12 hours!

I'm sure this is done both for reason #1 and #4. 

>I noticed that the ARRL 10 meter contest requires ALL station to only 
>operate 36 out of 48 hours. Another rule that needs to be changed. When is 
>the last time you heard 10 meters opened for 48 continuous hours? 

It can and has happened. Most likely, it happens more often than you 
think, just there aren't enough people on 10m who notice.




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


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