[CQ-Contest] Post contest thoughts...

[Jim George]

At 12:28 PM 3/12/2004 +0000, Randy Thompson, K5ZD wrote:
>A few random thoughts following the ARRL DX Phone contest.
>
>- Why don't the Carribbean expeditions transmit above 7100?  There were some
>clear frequencies around 7101-7102 and 7106 that would have been out of the
>European QRM and still easy to locate for those of us listening down.  OA4SS
>was on 7102 for awhile and he was much easier to copy there than when he was
>down in the mess.


I operated K5NA on 40 meters quite a bit in the SSB contest, and tried 
always to announce "listening on 70XX and this frequency."  Only got one or 
two VKs on my transmit frequency.  Not very productive.  In the future, fhe 
new 40 meter band plan should help to spread out the DX stations.  At 
present, 40 is a madhouse in the DX spilt band.


>- Is the ARRL contest too long?  48 hours is better than 2 weekends, but
>would 24 hours be even better?  As it is now, there are only a few
>competitors at the top of each category.  Everyone else is in participant
>class.  Would shortening the contest enable more guys to compete seriously
>(i.e. be on for the whole contest)?  Or is this "contest" run as a DX/WAS
>chasing promotional activity?


I would suggest keeping the 48 hours to encourage DXpeditions and 
multi-ops, however for the Single Ops, I would support a 36 hour 
maximum.  Like the WPX as someone said.  That puts strategy into it.

Jim N3BB/5