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

Mon Mar 2 05:23:21 PST 2009

I agree with Jim on this approach.

It's a tough decision, having dealt with it on a smaller level with the Tennessee QSO Party (shameless plug).

My opinion is that it is difficult to compare radiosport with other forms of competition. To win the US, one could easily argue that certain areas of the country are at a distinct disadvantage and almost always will be. 

Propagation is a variable outside of anyone's control. You can be the best operator, with the best station and have the perfect weekend in Podunk USA, but if you can't run the big DX population/multiplier sections, you won't win and me be lucky to even show.

I do think NA should not include the US or Canada.

I think "spreading the wealth" does foster more intense competition at the top levels of some categories. 

The ultimate choice of how to distribute awards lies with the contest and plaque sponsors. If the plaque sponsors don't like what's happening in a given contest, they will vote with their wallets. 

Keep in mind, I've never won a plaque in a national/international event. I have won state plaques, all of which are proudly displayed on my shack wall.

When I was TDS Rallying, there were trophies for the top three places in most categories. Maybe it's time to consider something like this for major contests?

73
Julius

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366

--- On Sun, 3/1/09, Jim George <n3bb at mindspring.com> wrote:

> From: Jim George <n3bb at mindspring.com>
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Putting the spoon into the pot: WPX - who is on first?
> To: "Randy Thompson K5ZD" <k5zd at charter.net>
> Cc: kr2q at optimum.net, cq-contest at contesting.com
> Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 2:43 PM
> KR2Q is right on target.
> 
> I understand the overall philosophy of not concentrating
> the "wealth" and 
> encouraging more activity through broader recognition. More
> recognition 
> plaques are good.
> But it seems "unseemly" (pardon the double usage)
> for one to receive a 
> "winner" plaque for something he/she didn't
> win. In this example, TI5N won 
> NA and the World, KR2Q won USA, not NA, and N7IR was #2 in
> the US, not the 
> US winner. Each of them did a super job.
> 
> How about this-providing hardware to be admired, and also
> accurate. Plaques 
> are a big deal, more recognition than a paper certificate
> for most people.
> 
> TI5N receives a plaque stating Winner, World and NA.
> KR2Q receives a plaque stating Winner, USA
> N7IR receives a plaque stating #2 USA
> 
> The key element is that they all get a plaque, which is a
> big deal. Plaques 
> stand out on walls. These plaques will be admired and
> provide an accurate 
> recognition for three noteworthy achievements for sure.
> 
> Jim N3BB
> 
> 
> At 06:05 PM 3/1/2009 +0000, you wrote:
> >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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> > > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > >
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
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