[CQ-Contest] Re: QST Line Scores

[Michael Tope]

Gary,

If you do a "save as" from internet explorer, it will save everything
you are looking at. I use this to save Ebay transactions that eventually
go away from their website.

73 de Mike, W4EF...................

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Ferdinand W2CS" <W2CS at bellsouth.net>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 6:21 AM
Subject: RE: [CQ-Contest] Re: QST Line Scores


> Dave,
>
> Your expose brought back some personal memories that were very similar.
As
> a kid I, too, would pour over contest line scores and imagine what kind of
> station and op skills were required to be in that top ten list.  Or, plot
> how I was going to beat the kid across town who thoroughly trounced me in
a
> SS with only dipoles.  I'd analyze the hell of them.  Hell, I still do!
>
> Kids of today (kids of all ages, but "kids") will have no problem doing
the
> same thing with the internet results.  In fact, the various
> searching/sorting will likely improve it a bit.  As we, the contesting
> community, become accustomed to this resource, I'm sure the copy will
> improve as will pictures and station descriptions.
>
> Bud, K2KIR, made an excellent point when he expresses concern about losing
> the line scores as web sites change, systems crash, etc.   A hundred
> thousand printed copies probably stand a better chance of being kept safe
> over time than web site content does.
>
> I don't know if ARRL HQ still does this, but years ago they would keep at
> least one copy of every QST (and other League pub) ever published.  It was
> neat to visit HQ and be able to pull one of these and gingerly look
through
> it.  Something equivalent to that really needs to be implemented for the
> computer line scores and writeups.  In many ways these contest results,
> pictures and station descriptions are our history.  They show what we
looked
> like (gads!), bring back memories of that equipment we thought was state
of
> the art (we really made Qs with THAT?), and sets a statistical base for
> comparision with future efforts (nr of participants, top scores, scores vs
> sunspot cycle, ...).
>
> What's the best way of preserving web site content for the future?  I'm a
> user of the web, not a web site architect.  Is it possible to capture a
> "snapshot" of the ARRL site or subset thereof that can be activated later
> and still work?  (Note this implies probably storing the computer image on
> which it resides, and maybe at some points the computer itself,  so that
> supporting software is part of the archive.)  I don't think the equivalent
> of a batch of QSTs in a climate-controlled room is easily accomplished.
>
> But it should be done.
>
> 73,
>
> Gary W2CS
> Apex, NC
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: cq-contest-admin at contesting.com
> > [mailto:cq-contest-admin at contesting.com]On Behalf Of David A. Pruett
> > Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 7:08 PM
> > To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> > Subject: [CQ-Contest] Re: QST Line Scores
> >
> >
> > Back in the early seventies when I was a new ham (licensed 2-3 years)
and
> > starting to get very enthused about contesting, the QST contest writeups
> > were a HUGE factor in increasing my knowledge.  I was fortunate that the
> > library at community college I attended for the first few years
> > after high
> > school had a rather complete collection of QSTs for the prior
> > fifteen years
> > or so.  They were stored in a back room and the librarian would
> > unlock the
> > room and let me sit back there for hours digesting contest results.
> >
> > What was it that attracted my interest - line scores?  Heck no!
> > First, it
> > was pictures of contest stations; no, not stations with a DX40 and an
> > NC300, but pictures of competitive stations like W3GRF, K1LPL/3, XE1IIJ,
> > W7RM, etc.  It was always interesting to see what these guys were
> > running,
> > which gave me something to aspire to.  Second were the tables
> > showing QSOs
> > and mults (varied depending on the contest); again, showing me what was
> > possible.  And finally, contest writeups which explained the
> > contest - who
> > beat who, and why; significant scores, antecdotes, etc.; much more than
> > simple recitations of first, second and third places in each category.
> >
> > Its been a number of years since I've read a contest writeup in a
> > magazine
> > which I truly enjoyed.  The CQWW writeups, IMHO, are better than the
ARRL
> > ones because K3EST is deeply involved in the contest and understands
what
> > went on.  I commend the ARRL recent writeups (particularly the on-line
> > versions) by guest authors which have been a great improvement and will
> > continue to get better as these writers gain experience (that is,
> > assuming
> > they don't burn out and quit).  Still there is room for
> > improvement - IMHO
> > there needs to be more pictures and more comparison breakdowns.  For
> > example, the January VHF SS writeup lacked the traditional boxes with
top
> > QSOs and grids per band.  I'm not sure whether scoring info by band was
> > available in the results - even if so, sorting through hundreds of
scores
> > is a lot of work for the reader when the author might be able to run a
> > database query and format it into a table with little work.
> >
> > I believe that an attractive, interesting article about the results of a
> > contest has a place in QST.  I'm not so much against including
> > line scores
> > as I am a proponent of better use of space.  I'd prefer to *read
> > about the
> > contest* and opposed to going glassy-eyed over columns of data.
> >
> > At the same time, we contesters need to get off our butts.  We need to
> > submit more photos, stories, etc. about our contest efforts as
> > material for
> > the writeup authors to use.  And those of us who are capable of writing
> > need to step up and volunteer to do the writeups.  N1ND's time is put to
> > much better use making the contest results happen.
> >
> > FWIW.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Dave/K8CC
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
>
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