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

[Hank Greeb]

Sometimes the cheek in my tongue doesn't carry through this medium of 
communications.  Of course, this particular medium of communication 
contains a lot of opinionated folks (and I'm including myself in that 
category) who tend to shout at each other, rather than carrying on a 
intellectual discourse on any particular topic.

But, I reiterate, if we had enough categories, each operator could have 
an award for any particular contest.  And, that statement has 
considerable cheek in tongue.

73 de n8xx Hg

Michael Coslo <mjc5 at psu.edu> wrote:

>------------------------------
>
>Message: 5
>Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:30:23 -0500
>From: Michael Coslo <mjc5 at psu.edu>
>Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Shall we argue how many Angels can dance on,
>	the head of a pin?
>To: CQ Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
>
>
>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 -
>