[CQ-Contest] Shall we argue how many Angels can dance on, the head of a pin?

[Michael Coslo]

On Nov 9, 2007, at 11:17 AM, Hank Greeb wrote:

>
> A few contests (mainly QRP contests) have "simple wire antennas"
> category to distinguish from beam antennae.    I personally know  
> that a
> 8 dBd beam @ 50 feet makes a QRP Field Day station competitive with  
> the
> 100 watt category stations, particularly since the QRP station gets a
> multiplier of 5 vs 2 for the 100 Watt category.  I placed 2nd in Field
> Day, Class 1B 1OP Battery twice during the 80's with this antenna  
> and a
> HW-9.  Distant 2nd, but 2nd anyway.
>
> The same reasoning would hold for a station running full legal  
> power - a
> full size beam @ 110 feet would "outclass" a simple wire antenna @ 25
> feet.  It's a matter of the number of categories one wishes to have  
> in a
> contest.  Maybe we should have "dummy load antenna" category, wire
> antenna no higher than 10', wire antenna no higher than 30', wire
> antenna no higher than 50', unlimited height wire antenna, and similar
> breakdowns for whether or not you're looking at salt water, whether  
> the
> soil in dry and sandy or wet and clay, whether you have a beam antenna
> of any sort, maybe even what kind of beam antenna you have.  If we
> choose enough categories, perhaps we can have a category winner for
> every entry.
>

	You are correct Hank. Trying to level the playing field is just one  
of those things that once you start it, there is no end.

	I had though of introducing a "crappy antenna category" at one time.  
And how about the Operators? Should a handicap be given for bad  
operators or penalties for extremely proficient Operators? I still  
think that the Operator is the most important part of a high score.

	And just what *do* we do about those who are in a good location?  
Make 'em move?

	It's so much better to accept that there is a competition, and just  
as with athletes, some are better suited for the task at hand. My QTH  
is not too bad for contesting, but if I want to have a really good  
location, I move it to our mountaintop shack, with it's great  
antennas and top notch equipment.

	When I want to compete, I do these things I need to do to compete,  
not try to bring the better Ops and Stations down to my level.

	- 73 de Mike N3LI -