[CQ-Contest] Move WPX Back to 30 Hours?

Sat Mar 22 13:36:49 EDT 2008

At no time did any of the advocates of 30 hours make the argument that it
was due to needing sleep.  All of the examples were around enhancing the
competitive balance between various parts of the world.

Randy, K5ZD 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> Richard L. King
> Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2008 2:23 PM
> To: Jim Neiger; cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Move WPX Back to 30 Hours?
> 
> I agree with Jim on this one.
> 
> When we start cutting back on contest time to fit our aging 
> sleep cycle, it is admitting that the end of contesting is at hand.
> 
> When I hit 100 years of age, I want the WPX to still be a 36 
> hour contest and not a one hour contest to fit my physical needs.
> 
> Of course, I am hoping that there will be another generation 
> of contesters to follow us. If we know for sure that 
> contesting is going to die out with us, then you can make all 
> contests an evening's sprint and I will find another hobby. 
> Maybe I will start running Marathons (Unless they get 
> shortened for me too).
> 
> 73, Richard - K5NA
> 
> 
> 
> At 22:51 3/21/2008, Jim Neiger wrote:
> >And I would like to see this contest go back to 48 hours.
> >
> >o   Contests are for operating
> >
> >o   Sleeping is for non-contesters
> >
> >o   Bands are for congesting
> >
> >At my house, Trey was always fondly known as "The Kid", and 
> we tried to
> >treat him just like one of our children.   Now he's starting 
> to sound like
> >the rest of the OF's who can no longer 'cut the mustard'...  
> Let's see, 
> >Trey-ster,  was it 1999 that you were No. 1 SO/AB from HC8 
> and wasn't 
> >that also a new WR?? Surely you could operate the entire 48 
> hours.... 
> >What happened?
> >
> >Gads, in 30 years when I hit the Century mark,  I sure hope 
> that there 
> >will still be some of you young guys around to work.
> >
> >Vy 73
> >
> >Jim Neiger   N6TJ
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Trey Garlough" <trey at kkn.net>
> >To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> >Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 7:59 AM
> >Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Move WPX Back to 30 Hours?
> >
> >
> > > Randy has summarized the situation very well.
> > >
> > > I think the 30-hour SOAB WPX format was very good, and I 
> still think 
> > > that the new 36-hour format is a mistake.  I would love 
> to see the 
> > > contest go back to the 30-hour format -- it was the 
> quintessential 
> > > world wide contest for "medium guns."
> > >
> > > Anyone who has been in the contesting game for a long time will 
> > > recognize the following fact: The best ops with the best 
> stations in 
> > > the best locations tend to win contests.  There is not 
> much mystery 
> > > to this aspect of contesting.
> > >
> > > o The beauty of the 30-hour format is that it gives the best ops 
> > > with  the best stations in the best locations less time to assert 
> > > these  advantages over everyone else.  This makes the race closer 
> > > and more  exciting.
> > >
> > > o Because the big guns spend fewer hours on the air, the 
> bands are 
> > > less  congested and this gives the medium guns more space to 
> > > establish  themselves.
> > >
> > > o Having to pick what you think your best 30 hours will be 
> > > introduces an  interesting aspect of strategy that is not 
> present in most contests.
> > >
> > > o It's ok for contests to be different.  There are plenty 
> of 48-hour  
> > > contests available for guys who feel limited by the 
> 30-hour format.
> > >
> > > Not sure what else to say.  This horse was beaten dead 10 
> years ago 
> > > -- would love to see it come back to life!
> > >
> > > --Trey, N5KO/HC8N
> > >
> > >
> > > K5ZD writes:
> > >> History has shown that the shorter time period enables 
> more people 
> > >> to be competitive from more places around the world.  
> For example, 
> > >> from W6, it is more likely to find 30 good hours that include 
> > >> Europe or JA propagation than it is to find 36 hours.  
> Where from 
> > >> W1, we have 40+ hours of good prop to Europe.  By limiting to 30 
> > >> hours, both the W1 and W6 ops have the same amount of rate 
> > >> opportunities to work with.
> > >>
> > >> The biggest complaint against 30 hours is that there is a lot of 
> > >> time where you may be wanting to operate, yet can't.  
> This tends to 
> > >> drive a lot of activity into the first 24 hours and then 
> leave the 
> > >> bands a little emptier on day 2.
> > >>
> > >> As a side note, the WPX RTTY contest has kept the 30 
> hour limit.  I 
> > >> am not sure what prompted the increase from 30 to 36 
> hours.  Based 
> > >> on comments over the years, the guys who are on 
> expeditions or in 
> > >> high rate locations tend to favor the longer operating 
> time.  The 
> > >> guys in less advantage areas have voted by giving up on 
> the contest 
> > >> and so their comments have diminished.
> > >>
> > >> Randy, K5ZD
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
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