[CQ-Contest] a little more fairness?

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

Propagation is indeed interesting from that part of the world (actually it  
is interesting from low latitude locations anywhere in the world), but  
interesting propagation won't win contests on its own. Being seven time zones  
from the two major activity centers is a big hurdle.
 
The 1/2/3 point structure in CQWW leaves a lot to be desired. One point  
qsos make sense in EU where lots of close activity, for both QSOs and 
available  mutlipliers, balances out the one pointness. For the rest of the world 
that is  not the case. Two point qsos within continents, excepting Europe, 
would indeed  make sense.
 
But better yet, consider that with computer scoring, there is no real need  
for integer values for qso points. Why not 1.3 or 2.9 point qsos?  I'd  
suggest that point values based on zone to zone distances of between one point  
(same zone) and three points (the antipodes) would go a long way to giving  
places like zones 22, 25, or 28 a reasonable chance, at least at good times 
 of the solar cycle.  It would also get rid of the ridiculous advantages of 
 places like northern Africa and northern South America.
 
Such scoring would not have to replace the present "Classic" version of  
CQWW scoring. A parallel "Contest Within a Contest" would work great for this  
system.
 
Such changes will never come from the CQ Committee, but if checked  logs 
could be made available to a suitable outside group, such a distance  
equalized scoring system could give the recognition deserved by ops in the far  
reaches of the globe.
 
 
73  -  Jim  K8MR
 
 
In a message dated 12/9/2010 4:11:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
vs_otw at rogers.com writes:

Sorry,  just could not resist not to interfere and share my own  experience.

Having operated from Europe and N. America, I was truly  amazed how the 
propagation looks like in the Zone 24, particularily I mean  Shanghai, 
China, 
located at a close proximity to the zones 22, 26, 27 28  discussed here. I 
did not operate from there because it took some time to  get the Chinese 
foreign operator's license. Finally I got the ticket but  my stay in China 
turn to be over then. Anyway, I had a small receiver with  the "SSB 
facility" 
so that I could SWL a bit.

I watched CQ WW SSB  and 2009, as well as some other contests and just 
non-contest  activity.
My observations were amazing.
- While there is not a beep on  15m at my QTH in Canada, both 15 and 10 m 
are 
widely open.
- 40-20-15 m  are perfectly open to Europe, the Far East and West Coast NA 
for several  hours. 40 m is open virtually 24/7. 10 m was fine for the Far 
East/Japan,  Pacific and West Coast.
- Pacific stations are there with almost equal  signals on any bands, 10 to 
80 m. A KH2 was a perfect example (59+++ 10  through 80 m) in the CQ WW.
- ZM4A (I think, that was the call) was there  like a beacon everywhere 40 
m 
and up being the strongest on most of bands,  though not as strong on 80.
- I could watch a XX9 station running JA's on  10 m for hours and days 
non-stop. It even made me curious whether the  commonly-accepted idea that 
the JA guys disappear by end of contests  because they have to go to work 
is 
just a myth.

Sorry, gents, but I  am completely sure that even a modest station in the 
area can easily  provide a blilliant result without any change is the 
existing points'  system.

73,
Vladimir  VE3IAE

---





>
> --- On Mon, 6/12/10,  Charles Harpole <k4vud at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Charles  Harpole <k4vud at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] a little more  fairness?
> To: "Contest Internet"  <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Received: Monday, 6 December, 2010,  10:34 PM
>
>
> A modest proposal....  Could the  contesting community consider cutting 
> some slack to a neglected part  of the contesting world, specifically CQ 
> Zones 22, 26, 27 and 28,  South Asia area.  I suggest doubling the point 
> count for working  stations in this area from outside the zones.
>
> The reason is  that (1) most beams are from NA to EU or the reverse or 
are 
> on JA  (these headings are a long way from S. Asia usually), (2) many 
very 
>  high power stations clustered in EU tend to drown out S. Asia to all in  
> EU, (3) the start time of 0000Z gives very poor first hours to S.  Asia 
> stations due to prop at those hours, and (5) there are just not  as many 
> one-hop stations to work within these and near-by zones and  (5) not many 
> stations in S. Asia do contests partly due to what is  listed here.
>
> The playing field is just not flat, not nearly,  and looks more like a 
> mountain between S. Asia and the large  collections of contesters in EU 
and 
> NA.  So, I ask this be  considered because it will also liven up contests 
> and add more  challenges.  I will certainly encourage S. Asia stations to 
>  participate more and longer.
>
> 73, Thanks,  HS0ZCW
>
> Charles Harpole
>
>  k4vud at hotmail.com
>