[CQ-Contest] Club Circle Standardization was: Circle Jerks

Tue May 29 10:17:33 EDT 2007

> This is not inherently a bad idea at all - since everyone 
> knows (or can find out) their 4-character grid square.  I 
> think you would probably need some sort of anti-gerrymandering 
> provision, to prevent one club from defining the entire Northeast 
> megalopolis as its area, or Seattle to Los Angeles.

A "14 grid" limit would prevent even a "one grid wide" area 
extending from Seattle to Los Angeles.  I don't think it is 
possible to cover the combined area of NCCC and SCCC (all of 
California) or create a "super club" encompassing everything 
from northern New England (ME, VT, NH) through Central Virginia.  

Still, even with a "two grid wide/two grid high" limitation 
a 14 grid limit works for a lot of other clubs in "geographically 
challenged" areas.  It allows all of FCG to participate as a 
single club, it has application to TCG/KCG and NCCC/MRCC, 
probably fixes the PVRC problem, allows SMC the opportunity to 
pick up the more widely spaced concentration of activity. 

An alternate to a pure "14 grid" standard would be up to "n" 
contiguous grids with a maximum distance of 600 miles (1000 km). 
This would resolve the "bigger grids closer to the equator" 
issue.  

73, 

   ... Joe, W4TV 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pete Smith [mailto:n4zr at contesting.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 8:04 AM
> To: Joe Subich, W4TV; cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Club Circle Standardization was: 
> Circle Jerks
> 
> 
> This is not inherently a bad idea at all - since everyone 
> knows (or can 
> find out) their 4-character grid square.  I think you would 
> probably need 
> some sort of anti-gerrymandering provision, to prevent one club from 
> defining the entire Northeast megalopolis as its area, or 
> Seattle to Los 
> Angeles.
> 
> The main reason I didn't go that route in my proposal is that 
> I am looking 
> for the minimum practical change to the current situation, to make it 
> easier for contest sponsors to sign on.  I also want to cause minimum 
> disruption to the rosters of the contest clubs, individual 
> hurt feelings 
> and resistance to change.
> 
> Incidentally, for those who are wondering, what I propose 
> would NOT "fix" 
> PVRC's circle problem or have changed the outcome of the 2006 
> Sweepstakes 
> club competition.
> 
> I have received a strong expression of interest in sponsoring 
> the circle 
> standardization proposal from one major US club, but 
> obviously it would be 
> most likely to succeed if multiple major clubs got behind it.
> 
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> 
> 
> At 10:11 PM 5/28/2007, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
> 
> >K8DD writes:
> >
> > > In ARRL contests there is a second option to the circle.
> > > According to http://www.arrl.org/contests/cc.html 
> Unlimited and Medium
> > > clubs have the choice of the circle or section.  " All 
> stations and
> > > all operators must reside within the club territory, 
> which is either
> > > defined by a 175-mile (282-kilometer) radius from a 
> designated area or
> > > one ARRL section."    Not real hard to understand what that means.
> >
> >That still penalizes clubs where a given state is chopped into
> >multiple sections (e.g., the Florida Contest Group).
> >
> >The "smart" way to resolve the geographical limits for a club is
> >to use a given number of grid squares (6 character).  14 or 15
> >squares would be about the same geographical area as the current
> >175 mile (ARRL) limit and would be significantly easier to 
> administer.
> >
> >73,
> >
> >    ... Joe, W4TV
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
> > > [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of hank k8dd
> > > Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 8:58 PM
> > > To: kr2q at optonline.net
> > > Cc: cq-contest at contesting.com
> > > Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Circle Jerks
> > >
> > >
> > > On 5/28/07, kr2q at optonline.net <kr2q at optonline.net> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Seems to me that the concept of circle is wrong.  What
> > > about places along the coast?
> > > > What about places along deserts?  What about etc?  Doesn't
> > > a circle hurt them?
> > >
> > > ----
> > >
> > > In ARRL contests there is a second option to the circle.
> > > According to http://www.arrl.org/contests/cc.html 
> Unlimited and Medium
> > > clubs have the choice of the circle or section.  " All 
> stations and
> > > all operators must reside within the club territory, 
> which is either
> > > defined by a 175-mile (282-kilometer) radius from a 
> designated area or
> > > one ARRL section."    Not real hard to understand what that means.
> > >
> > > CQ WPX says "Participation is limited to members 
> operating within a
> > > local geographical area (exception: DXpeditions 
> especially organized
> > > for operation in the contest and manned by members)."  No 
> definition
> > > of "local geographical area", but one could say it is somewhere
> > > between a 300 kilometer circle and a call area.  Or two.  
> Or three in
> > > some cases!     Not real easy to understand what that means.
> > >
> > > CQ WW says "Participation is limited to members operating within a
> > > local geographic area defined as within a 275 km radius 
> from center of
> > > club area (except for DXpeditions specially organized for 
> operation in
> > > the contest; club contributions of DXpedition scores are 
> percentaged
> > > to the number of club members on the DXpedition).  Not 
> real hard to
> > > understand what that means .....
> > >
> > > Change it and make them all the same.  "Participation is 
> limited to
> > > members operating and residing within the club territory  
> (except for
> > > DXpeditions sponsored by the club for the operating 
> event.  Scores to
> > > be percentaged to the number of club members operating on the
> > > DXpedition).
> > >
> > > Then there is the exchange .....
> > > Add a Check .... you know .... THE CHECK ....
> > > the year you were first licensed,
> > > the year you think you were first licensed,
> > > the year you wanted to get licensed,
> > > the year you didn't get licensed,
> > > the year you were born,
> > > the year you were married, deflowered, or attended your first
> > > Hamvention(r),
> > > Or some two digit number that you got by throwing darts at
> > > the dart board.
> > > Etc, etc, etc.
> > >
> > > And start it all off with a sync code (5nn or enn) to let 
> you sync to
> > > the speed in your brain to know that the rest of the exchange is
> > > coming at that speed.  Or slower.  Or faster.
> > >
> > > 73    Hank/Duck    K8DD
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > 'Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their
> > > level then beat you with experience.'      -anon
> > > --
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
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> > >
> > >
> >
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