[CQ-Contest] Low Wires Contest Club (LWCC)

[PaulKB8N at aol.com]

To All:
 
I appreciate any feedback or suggestions on how , or even if, I should  get 
this club going.
 
The purpose for starting this club is to encourage participation  in contests 
and competition among contesters with either budget constraints  or covenants 
(or even a very fussy XYL) that only allow them to have single  element wire 
antennas (definition expanded below).  The proposed club  would enter teams 
(probably with no realistic hope of winning) mostly for the  camaraderie, fun 
and personal improvement.  
 
I would define a low wire antenna as a single element antenna, with a  height 
of no more than 50' and a length no longer than a half wave at the lowest  
band operated (about 250' for 160M).  The wire can be an L, a dipole, a  
vertical (aluminum okay), a vertical or horizontal loop, an inverted  V, Windom or 
any other antenna that meets the single-element and height and  length 
limitations  Multiple antennas are ok, no limit per se on the area  the antennas must 
occupy.  Antennas can be used on as many bands as  desired.
 
In that the antennas are pretty basic and low, power categories would  
probably be low power and QRP, either SO1R or SO2R.  At the end of the  contest, 
members would submit claimed scores which would be compiled in club  email.  
Members would be encouraged to share information on their antennas,  and any other 
operating challenges (stealth appearance, RFI, etc).   Official final scores 
would be those published by the contest sponsor.
 
I would hope to find folks around the country that operate under these  
restrictions, and put together national or regional teams if participation  allows. 
 I think this might be a good way to recognize a lot of folks that  otherwise 
might not receive a lot of attention, and also promote basic contest  
operation and participation.  We might be able to sponsor a mailing list  with 
archives, or even a website.
 
I appreciate any thoughts and suggestions you might have regarding this  
endeavor.
 
Paul, K5AF