[CQ-Contest] SS SSB And Your Callsign In The Exchange

[Jim Rhodes]

You left off the part of the definition that says "to equalize the 
chances of the competitors". Using your partial definition then those 
with long calls are handicapped in ALL contests. But in your 
definition it is assumed that the handicap is applied to the more 
able competitors to "level the playing field" (here we go again!). If 
it is a requirement for all competitors it is simply the rules of the 
game and it applies to all competitors equally and is not a "handicap".


At 02:50 AM 11/19/2008, Paul O'Kane wrote:

>I've checked the meaning of "handicap".  One definition is -
>
>   "a race or other contest in which certain disadvantages of
>   weight, distance, time, etc., are placed upon competitors"
>
>Being obliged to say/send the callsign one extra time
>(compared to other HF contests) is a disadvantage of time.
>As such, it is a handicap.  It is one that, in SS, applies
>equally to all entrants.  Actually, now that I think about
>it, it's more of a handicap for those with long callsigns.

Jim Rhodes K0XU
jim at rhodesend.net

Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.