[CQ-Contest] WPX and 30 Hour Nonsense

[Robert Shohet]

Yes, every decade this topic comes up again.  And again. 
And again, like that greasy Cheeseburger that just
won't digest properly, and keeps causing Reflector heartburn.

For me, contesting is about OPERATING and working
guys, EVERYWHERE and on multiple bands.  The more
q's the merrier.  I don't need no stinkin' offtime. (Well I do
take an hour or two, but I still don't want offtime.)

Can we have a show of hands for those contesters who feel that
taking off-time in a contest is MORE fun than working guys?

**What is the point of operating a contest where you are 
wide awake and bored because you CAN'T operate?**

Contests are inherently unfair to sometime, somewhere.
That's life.  Do I get in a snit because All Asia is 
"unfair" to the East coast?  Heck I would love to run JA's
and BY's and HL's and work 9V1, HS and V8 on 80
and 40.  But I can't from CT and that's life.

So should I post to the contest reflector to reduce the
amount of hours of operating time so that I can get beaten
by a smaller amount?  What about the W6's and JA's
who enjoy MORE hours to work each other?  Should 
their fun be reduced because I can't partake in the same
manner?  Maybe I should petition so that I can work
US stations while the 6's run JA's?

While were on the subject, no New England station
can compete with WP3R, N Mexico or Colorado
is SS.  We can become more competitive with them
if we reduce the operating time to 18 hours, so 
we won't run out of stations as fast and they won't
have an extra 6 hours to "run up the score".  That will also
have the POSITIVE effect of reducing the incredibly boring
Sunday afternoon SS periods when even they are 
bored out of their minds, scrapping for 1 qso every
2 minutes!  

But this is NONSENSE! They will still beat us, just by a
smaller amount. Who is kidding who?  Do I complain
that SS is an unfair contest for New England?
PUHLEAAAAASSSSSSSEEE!

Years ago, on THIS reflector, I very vocally supported the
idea of working US for points, and petitioned N8BJQ for the change.
I did so even though "in theory" that would be giving up
a perceived advantage for New England vs the
rest of the country.  In legal terms
that is called a "Statement against interest".

So why did I do it?  BECAUSE IT MADE THE CONTEST 
BETTER FOR EVERYONE!  EVERYONE gets to work
stateside now.  More q's, more mults, higher rates, more
activity, and MORE FUN FOR EVERYONE!  

Those horrendous dead times on Sunday afternoon have 
been eliminated, when you could turn on the radio and
drive a pack of maritime nets through the massive holes
on the low end of 15 and 20 meters.  THAT WAS FUN?

Nothing kills operating enthusiasm faster than hearing a 
band open and discovering that there is NO ONE TO WORK
because they are taking OFF-TIME!  Radio gets shut off
for the weekend and other things get done.  No more
contest.  Loss of activity.  This is a good idea?  NOT!!

What am I supposed to do come upstairs and play with
my daughter while I wait for the offtime to expire?
Once I start playing with her, you really think I want to go
back downstairs and play radio again?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but a little self-control
is warranted.  The object of proposed rule changes should be
to INCREASE ACTIVITY, INCREASE FUN and INCREASE
SCORE!  Artificially REDUCING activity, KILLS fun and
score, and is a VERY BAD IDEA!

It is time to let the Cheeseburger finish digesting and be 
PERMANENTLY eliminated in the natural way.

73
Bob KQ2M  kq2m at earthlink.net