[CQ-Contest] An Innocent Question...

[K3BU@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/17/2005 12:51:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
wb0wao at hotmail.com writes:

>>If one of the majors decided to offer a new award based on 4 character 
Grids, they would need to either sponsor a new contest _or_ modify the 
exchange in an existing contest to support that award.  For example, you 
could replace the universal 59(9) signal report with the 4 character grid in 
just about any contest - when was the last time you received/logged anything 
_other_ than 59(9)!

I would be willing to bet that _if_ the ARRL decided to implement a grid 
based HF award and then sponsor a new 'test to support such an award, it 
would become a fairly popular contest.<<


I have come up in 2000 with contest and rules that address that very problem, 
approached CQ and ARRL for supporting it in the form of "godfathers" - we 
would do all the work around the contest, all they had to do is provide the space 
and promotion for rules and results in the magazine. NOT INTERESTED was the 
response.
It is TESLA CUP and uses grid squares for multipliers and award was on the 
drawing board. The rules address just about all the problems we see in scoring 
of major WW contests. Due to my personal QRL and lackluster (no) support from 
fellow contesters (I was even told to cool with postings on CQ-Contest 
reflector) it was the best kept secret for 5 years. 
http://www.computeradio.us/TeslaCup.htm
ARRL instead of promoting and publicizing contests decided to cool off 
contest publicity, relegated it to web pages, and instead, you get pictures "of 
shack on belt hams" and pages of listings of ARRL officials. Go figure!
So we have "good old" contests that gained popularity, but are having some 
aging problems, while the remedy is being largely ignored. 
I will give it more serious effort to have the 2006 running off the ground, 
we are working on the new home for Tesla RC station and trying to get all the 
ducks in the row for the club, contest and award going. Judging by the spread 
of Internet among contesters and how CQ MIR contest has grown, I think the 
timing should be perfect for Tesla Cup to take off, especially on Tesla's 150th 
birthday anniversary in 2006.
There is the chance to try something we have been craving for, get involved 
in either helping to promote or just simply join in and operate. 

73 Yuri, K3BU.us