[CQ-Contest] Putting the spoon into the pot: WPX - who is on first?

[Randy Thompson K5ZD]

This is not an issue specific to the WPX Contest.  I believe all CQ Contests
(WW, RTTY, WPX, 160) follow this convention of only awarding one plaque per
entry.

The goal of the plaque program is to motivate and provide recognition.

There are 3 "levels" of plaques (World, Continent, Country).  If an entry
was allowed to win multiple plaques, then one great effort from an
advantaged location could take all 3 levels and leave other strong efforts
unrecognized.  Perhaps all the plaques should not say "Winner", but again,
that's they way it has been done historically.  The policy has been to
always award an entry with the highest level plaque they were eligible for.

I am interested in hearing from the contest community if this policy should
be changed (specifically for the WPX Contest).  

What we have done for WPX in 2009 is change the definition of the North
America plaques so that they only apply to stations outside the USA and
Canada.  This accomplishes two desirable results: 1) it encourages activity
from North American stations outside USA/Canada, and 2) the winner of the
USA or Canada for a category will always be the winner of the country
plaque.

The list of plaques currently sponsored for the upcoming WPX contests can be
seen at http://www.cqwpx.com/plaques.htm.  (We are still looking for a few
more sponsors.)

To follow the example of my friend Jim White (K4OJ - SK), it is only 27 more
days until the CQ WPX Phone Contest!


Randy Thompson, K5ZD

Director - CQ WPX Contest

email: k5zd at cqwpx.com
web: www.cqwpx.com



> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> kr2q at optimum.net
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 11:37 PM
> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Putting the spoon into the pot: WPX - 
> who is on first?
> 
> Just got my March 2009 CQ mag with the cw WPX results.
> 
> YIPPIE!!  I won a trophy!!
> 
> BUT WAIT A MINUTE.....what's this I see?
> 
> TI5N wins for the world (congrats) and get the WORLD trophy.
> 
> I win for USA, but since TI5N got the WORLD trophy and now 
> I'm 2nd place in N.A., I get the NA trophy.  But I didn't win 
> NA, I won USA.  So why would I get the NA trophy?
> 
> And ELSE do I see?  Because I got the N.A. trophy, N7IR, who 
> is 2nd place USA, (an amazing feat from AZ) wins the USA trophy.  
> 
> HUH??????
> 
> This made no sense to me 30 years ago in CQWW when W1WY 
> thought that it would be equitable to not only do this sort 
> of thing, but make the previous year's winner ineligible to 
> win the trophy again.  So what happened?  Station "A" won in 
> year 19xx.  In year 19xx+1, they won again, but could bit win 
> the trophy, so station "B" got the trophy....and the trophy 
> was engraved with the word WINNER.  But it gets better.  In 
> year 19xx+2, Station A again won, Station B again came in 
> 2nd, but since they were both "ineligible," Station C got the 
> trophy, which again was engrave with WINNER.  This nonsense 
> was stopped long ago.  The winner is the winner, period.
> 
> So what would I do in this case?  TI5N wins the world AND 
> wins N.A.  He should get TWO trophies.  This concept of 
> "being fair" works well in kindergarten and first grade...not 
> contesting.
> 
> OK...taking a step back and now handing the spoon off.
> 
> de Doug KR2Q
> 
> 
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