[CQ-Contest] 24 hour contest

[kr2q@optonline.net]

Dear 24-hour proponents:

Let’s suppose that you can get your wish.  Just how do you propose to set it up?  

Will you specify which 24 hours (first, last, some formula)?

Are you going to set up off times?  How many and/or how long?  Who will measure that?

Can someone do 48 hours and send in their best 24?  Okay, so you will “not allow” that.  What if someone does 24 hours but really wants to “get the rare one” or “get a great 80m opening” that was not anticipated.  Can they “not count those 10 minutes to snag new  ones” or “not count that 3 hours on 80 meters when you were just having fun” or whatever?  Who will calculate that?

As I recall from WPX, some folks [used to?] “Hold the frequency by switching calls until the band got ‘hot’ and then revert to the ‘real’ callsign.”  Do you want to address that?

What categories would you include?  What about Assisted, low power, high power, QRP, monoband?  Are you going to break it up by county (zone), call area, state/province/canton/gun, etc?  Will you allow a 24 hour M/S or a 24 hour M/M?  If not, why not?

I have noted the comment(s) that you want to be compared with your peers (in whatever category).  You can do that on your own.  You can post scores on 3830 (include the hours) and look there or exchange emails – or, as in the olde days, do on the air!  You can contact those with whom you want to compete in a “same somehow limited” category.  I did this for years (mini contest within a contest).  I used to compete against my local peers on 15m monoband (circa 1969 to early 70’s).  I even competed against N2AA once on 10m.  He was at home and only had a 3 element yagi on the roof of his one-story house.  I set up a tiny-tower at the same height with a 3L yagi also.  We had a blast.  Sadly, in the end, my wife chided me, “You let that chubby redhead beat you?”  [Shows you how long ago that was].

If you get “enough” competition in these “mini” events, then (and only then) you might have some ammunition to present your case to whatever contest sponsor you have in mind.  But please remember, the contest sponsors already have “a zillion” categories in which to enter.  Having a subgroup of 24 hours will very likely double their work (probably more, because then they would have to validate the 24 hours).  So you should have your ducks in a row if you are serious about this.  Present a convincing argument with irrefutable evidence.  Then you might have a chance.

de Doug KR2Q