[CQ-Contest] Stimulating Participation was: Limited Antenna Height Category

[Richard DiDonna NN3W]

--- Original Message ---
From: "Kenneth E. Harker" <kenharker at kenharker.com>
To: CQ Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Stimulating Participation 
was: Limited Antenna Height Category

>On Tue, Nov 30, 2004 at 01:01:16PM -0500, Pete Smith 
wrote:
>
>>                       Doesn't mean it isn't still a 
good idea, particularly 
>> in the face of flat or declining participation in 
contests, which is why I 
>> have brought it up again.
>
>Can you back up that assertion that contest activity 
is "flat or declining"
>with data?  On HF, it is exactly the opposite of my 
personal observation.
>
I think there is a perception that activity on 10 
meters has decreased significantly - and not due to 
the sunspot cycle.  As the number of novices and techs 
decreases, I've noticed that the wild 10 meter QSO 
counts of the early-mid 90s have not really been 
matched today.  You could spend most all day on 10 in 
the NAQP, CQP, and SS contests - racking up unique Qs 
from Novices and techs.  

Statistics show that the number of novice and tech-
plus operators has dropped substantially in recent 
years.  While some of them have graduated to the real 
HF allowable categories, many have either dropped out 
or remained on VHF bands.

A review of some of the 3830 reports might give some 
indication of QSO trends.  Of course, its hard to make 
exact comparisons since the advent of SO2R has pushed 
up overall QSO effectiveness.

Perhaps an analysis of Field Day will give a guess as 
to overal QSO counts.

Rich NN3W