[CQ-Contest] World Contest Station Database redesign input sought

[Alfred Frugoli]

Hello fellow contesters.

As you know, the World Contest Station Database that had been maintained by
N4ZR for many years disappeared recently.  W1VE has generously offered space
on the getscores.org server to host the WCSD, and I'm going to be working on
redesigning the database and interface.

My hope is that the database will allow contesters to easily compare their
station to others in terms of station hardware to determine who their
"competitors" are.

What I'd like to see at this point is a discussion of ways to compare
contest stations.  Factors that come to my mind are antennas (height,
takeoff angle, gain, stacks, fixed antennas for certain directions, etc.),
receiver performance, receive antennas (only 1 direction, multiple
directions, etc.), and local noise floor.  Items such as SO2R, High
Power/Low power and entry class are contest specific and that information is
already available through the 3830 database.  Are there other factors I'm
not thinking of?

I look forward to a lively discussion and having a useful tool for
contesters back on the 'net soon.

If you belong to other reflectors where readers may have input, please feel
free to forward this e-mail along.

73 de Al, KE1FO

-----
Visit my amateur radio contesting blog at ke1fo.wordpress.com.