[CQ-Contest] DX Sprint is a good idea

[Michael Tope]

> Total Score = Operator Skill + (0.5 * (Hardware) + (0.4 * Location)
>
> Whenever one talks about "leveling the playing field" to correct for the
> fact that one area of the country has a perceived advantage over some
> other area involves tinkering with the above equation so that Location
> matters less. But this strategy neglects the other two variables, one -
> operator skill - which is mathematically very much more important than
> location. Trying to manipulate equations in this way is politics and
> statistics, not contesting.
>
> 73,
> Nat - WZ3AR

I would like to see a Sprint Team like concept brought into
the ARRL DX contest, whereby teams would be required to
have represenatives from each of the geographical areas
of the United States and Canada. Something like one
member from the Northeast (1, 2, 3 land + VE1,2), one from
the Southeast (4 land), one from the Midwest (8, 9 land +
VE3), one from the Central Plain States (0 land + VE4,5,6),
one from the South Central US (5 land), one from
Cahleefornia (6 land), one from the Southwest (Az, NV,
UT, NM), and one from the Pacific Northwest (Ore, WA, ID,
MT, WY, VE7).

This kind of competition structure might encourage more
participation from areas of the country that are normally out
of reach of the top ten box. A team victory would require an
outstanding performance from each team member relative
to the constraints of his or her individual regional propagation
characteristics. Under this sort of system, an individual
striving to recruite a dream team would have just as much
incentive to recruite W7GG or W7WA as they would K5ZD
or K1AR. Might be interesting.

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