[CQ-Contest] New category: "Wires only"??

[Gerard Lynch]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Roche" <rochep at comcast.net>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 5:38 PM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] New category: "Wires only"??


>I don't know if I am bringing up a subject that has been brought up dozens
> of times, but has there ever been any serious discussion of either
> changing/adding a contest category from "TB/wires" to simply "wires" (or
> "vertical/wires").

This has generated surprisingly little comment, I suppose us equipmentally 
challenged, but serious, contesters are few and far between?

Probably the majority of amateurs are restricted, whether because of space, 
family reasons or restrictive planning laws, to no more than wires and/or a 
vertical.  That's certainly the case in Europe and East Asia, and seems to 
be increasingly so in the States, especially in the West.  Speaking 
personally, I've never been able to put up anything more than a vertical or 
a dipole, and my current, high, clear, doublet is without doubt the best 
I've ever had, and as good as anything I'm likely to have for the next 5-10 
years.  Personally, I'd never worried as I contest to win against *myself* 
and have a great time doing it.

But a new 100W/single element class was introduced in BERU last year, and it 
was a blast, thinking I might be in with a shout of winning during the 
contest... well, as it turns out I came fourth and was nowhere near G3LET, 
who won, but it did get me thinking... another wire for a different set of 
lobes, can I get it up a bit higher, what band openings did I miss, Gawd, 
with a bit of effort I can win this one... to the extent I now have a better 
antenna than ever before.  A nice big, long, high DOUBLET - 41 metres of 
pure hard drawn wire ham radio ORGASM!!!  I can even get W6s and W7s to come 
back to MY CQ call - about twice a month.

This probably sounds silly to the stacked yagi/full size four-square set but 
it's the reality that most of us - most of us who give you those nice runs 
and big scores - deal with.

If we wanted to do something that would really help attract more people into 
seriously competing in contests, especially young people, especially people 
in developing countries (i.e. rare mults), this is what we'd do.  Think of 
all those VU and BY and HS 10 Watt wonders with their low bits of wire who 
might have something to shoot for...

Think of all those kids who don't have rich and indulgent parents or a 
sympathetic multi-op nearby...

73

Gerry G0RTN
Vanity Page at http://www.gerrylynch.co.uk
"In days of old, when ops were bold, and sidebands not invented,
The word would pass, by pounding brass, and all were well contented."