[CQ-Contest] It Is What It Is

[k3bu at optonline.net]

> All this sentiment for a "level playing field" flies directly in the face
> of what competition is all about.
> 

Weird "Ham Radio Logic" as applied to NYC Marathon:

You got 26 miles to run (oops, to compete) Africans and South Americans will start at mile 17, Europeans at mile 0, US competitors at mile minus 7. Results will be categorized by the size of shoes and sex or whatever losers would like to make them #1.


> The very essence of radiosport contesting is for each operator/station
> designer to do EVERYTHING within the rules to TILT (not level) 
> the playing
> field in their favor. If you can develop a skill not widely prevalent
> (SO2R, as an example), then more power to you --- you deserve 
> the fruits of
> your labors. But someone will come along lobbying that you're being
> "unfair" to those who haven't developed the skill. 
> 



Those that feel a bit weak can use roller skates or bicycles (Internet spotting or 
RTS). 



> If you can improve your antenna farm to gain a 3 or 6 dB 
> advantage over the
> masses, then more power to you --- you deserve the fruits of 
> your labors.
> But someone will come along lobbying that your tall tower is 
> "unfair" to
> those who haven't built their own. Soon someone will rent a clue 
> and decide
> that those with longer booms/more elements are also being 
> "unfair", and
> there'll be a new lobby against long booms.
> 
> If you can improve your receiver over what the masses can buy 
> out of the
> box you'll hear stuff that the masses can't hear --- more power 
> to you ---
> you deserve the fruits of your labors. But sooner or later 
> there'll be a
> lobby against non-stock receivers as "unfair". 




Yo Hans, we are not talking about "leveling playing field" among US competitors or any biased category. We are talking about World Wide Contest that got most popular and has skewed scoring system than can be easily fixed and be made BETTER, with results tabulated made MORE MEANINGFULL, capish?????? 


> Starts to sound pretty ridiculous, doesn't it! I don't want any 
> part of
> "level playing field 
radiosport where anyone can win" --- I want the
> advantage to go to excellence in operating skills, excellence in 
> stationdesign, and excellence in strategy. If you can't compete 
> because you lack
> "excellence" in skills or station design, then improve yourself/your
> station, and quit crying for rules changes to take away that 
> advantage from
> those who have acquired it.
> 


You tell that to bunch of US top scorers with super stations that can't even make ti to world top XX, because of scoring handicap and penalizing 0 pointers from own country!! WHY????

> For the logical outcome of a "level playing field", I recommend the
> excellent Kurt 
Vonnegut short story "Harrison Bergeron" at
> http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/hb.html
> 
> 73, de Hans, K0HB 


Nobody is asking for equality, but UNBIASED scoring system that can be fixed very easily by 1-2-3 point system.

You just don't get it, go into Marathon on the motorcycle and tell the other suckers about the crying for rules change!

I rest my case and sorry for trying to support some sanity into our contesting. Those who never build super station, never operated seriously trying to make it world top boxes, only to be smashed by fly-in operator from 3 pointer next door zone can argue their "logic" ad nauseam. Myabe they should pay attention what some old F-arts say, but looks like most just gave up and hold their "piece".

Just makes you feel good that you make lousy 300 QSO on 160 in CQ WW with bunch of zeroes from perhaps the world's best 160 station only to find out that it probably won't be good enough to make it into the top boxes, while Europeans could work around 1000 QSOs even under lousy condx. Who needs UNBIASED playing field, right?

I tell you my US friends, it was a lot more fun operating as VE3BMV being just few miles more north and enjoying points for QSOs with next door neighbors, now I feel your pain!

Fuggetabouit, back to the mud under the Rhombics at N2EE www.TeslaRadio.org

73 Yuri. K3BU

I will now join the silent, discriminated "WorldWiders" known as "US-Whiners".
Glad it is only a hobby/sport.
Hans (and few others), I am sorry, but you don't know what the heck you are talking about!