[CQ-Contest] Chiming in -- SO2R

[Steve Root]

>
> I notice in all your correspondence that you are focused on winning.
> I am focused on competition.  A casual reader might think that's the
> same thing, but it isn't quite.
>
> A subtle but important distinction.
>
> --
> Bill W6WRT
>


True, but I agree with Ward N0AX that the issue here is recognition.  While
QST did us a great disservice by curtailing their contest coverage, the Web
reporting has allowed vastly improved regional coverage.  In my opinion
that's a great help.  We can debate operator skill vs. location vs. hardware
forever and never get to a consensus but I think we can all agree that we
need to encourage the casual operator. We need to mentor and assist new
contestors, and that all of the contest recognition shouldn't fall to the
same few people every time.

It's very hard for a great operator with a small station in a poor
geograhical location to be recognized as such.  The solution here isn't to
penalize those who have invested enormous time and energy into building a
big station or those who have learned how to operate 2 radios.  The solution
is to develop a way to reward those efforts that may not end up in the Top
Ten box every year.

73 Steve K0SR