[CQ-Contest] ARRL 48 hour contests

[Albert Crespo]

Somehow the thread has created a theme about W/VE's wanting to have
stations on less then 48 hours.
 Well, what about the people you are supposed to work (DX)? If you
choose to operate the first 24, and a DX station decided to operate the
last 24 hours, neither one of you get a QSO. 
This becomes a real problem when you consider Asian stations can easily
operate the first twenty four hours of the contest, but the last hours
of the contest falls on their Monday morning sunrise  and that reduces
the number of  stations that bother to get on at that time because they
are going to work.  This may not effect the East Coast W/K's, but will
impact on  West Coast operators that have propagation into Asia.
Have a 20-10 category and that will reduce the number of DX stations
that will bother with low band antennas. 
Bottom line is that creating shorter hours of operation, and reducing
the number of bands of operation will create less DX station for people
to work.
Less rate, is that what people want to end up with?
Operating 48 hours does not equate wining a category. 
Those who do win do so because they produced the results.
When the rate falls to 10-20 an hour, go to bed and sleep if that is
what you want. 
Be happy and let others do what they want.
73, Al, also NH7A