[CQ-Contest] Leveling the palying field

[Kevin Stockton]

Of course it is possible that the big DX contests can be won by participants 
from outside of New England.  The people that do win these contests are 
typically on the East Coast and have a distinct geographical advantage over all 
others.  N9RV recently won the ARRL DX CW contest and he was in Indiana, so yes 
it can happen.  Unfortunately, the N9RV examples are extremely rare.  


I applaud NQ4I for being vocal about this issue.  But, I think he is delusional 
like me!  It seems that Rick and I still think that if we put up a big enough 
station and continue to improve our operating abilities that someday we can win 
one of these big DX contests.  Granted my fanciful thinking has abated over the 
years and I've become accustomed to comparing my scores to others in my general 
geographic areas and sometimes getting lucky enough to nip at the heels of the 
big boys.  Unfortunately I think that the vast majority of participants have 
come to the same conclusion.... you have to be close to Europe to have a shot at 
competing or winning.  Distance based scoring will help to alleviate this 
notion.  It will motivate people to push harder that otherwise might not have 
spent the time to put in a full time effort.  This means that you might start 
seeing some new call signs popping into the top ten box that haven't shown up 
before.  Maybe some of the regulars get pushed out.  We don't have to be afraid 
of change.    


I hope that there is more discussion about this on the reflector and with your 
local CAC representative.  You can find your representative by scrolling to the 
bottom of linked page below: 


www.arrl.org/files/file/About%20ARRL/.../2011/Janaury/Doc_30.doc

I hope that everyone can view the effects of this discussion from its impact on 
the contest community as a whole and not from an individual standpoint.  One 
final point:   


Boston to Germany is 3800 miles

San Diego to Germany is 6,000 miles

Does it seem right that the W1 gets the same amount of points for working a DL 
as the W6 does?

Kevin, N5DX

 
From: Richard DiDonna NN3W <richnn3w at verizon.net>

To: Rick Dougherty NQ4I <nq4i at contesting.com>; CQ Contest 
<cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Tue, June 21, 2011 10:39:12 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Leveling the palying field

I am not going to compare equipment or operators, but I will note that K5ZD 
is an oustanding operator who has done a yeoman's job in events like CQWW, 
ARRL DX, and WRTC...

Same with W9RE.

Now, with respect to winning CQWW, it has been done by hams outside of New 
England at least twice in the 2000 era.  K4ZW did it in 2004 and I did it in 
2006.  Ken operated from Virginia and I operated from Maryland.  I also had 
the top USA score in the 2010 ARRL DX CW....So, there is not a 100% 
advantage to New England.

73 Rich NN3W

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Dougherty NQ4I" <nq4i at contesting.com>
To: "CQ Contest" <cq-contest at contesting.com>; "SECC" <secc at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:10 AM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Leveling the palying field


> Hi all...some more to consider
>
>
> I would like to make a comparison between W9RE and K5ZD...both talented 
> op's....
>
> if you compare stations, Mike has spent considerable time, effort and
> money to assemble a very competitive station with stacks on 40-10m, a
> 2 el 80m rotary,and decent antennas
> and beverages on 160m...Randy's is not nearly as big...big by NE
> standards, but not even in the same league...Mike does what he does to
> try to level the field....but can never expect to best Randy....and
> this goes on year after year..propagation plays a very small hand in
> the competition....both stations are SO2R capable....so is it fair to
> Mike ....I don't THINK so....
> When for the past 30 + years the advantage in location has created a
> 95% identifiable advantage to one area of the country...i.e. you gotta
> live within 200 miles of Boston, or better yet in Nova Scotia to win
> the ARRL....and the same is true for CQWW....
>
> On the other hand go to the Caribbean and you can clean up the
> ARRL...or in CQWW go to zone 9, 33 or 35 and with a decent station and
> op, victory is yours....
>
> Is CQWW negligent in not considering this?? I THINK so....hats off the
> ARRL for leading in this matter......will CQWW have egg on their face
> for not considering this?? don't know...
>
> It's funny who are the ones vocal against this proposal....vested
> interests?? Think about it....
>
> Stations who stand to gain from distance based scoring....W4's, W5's,
> W8's W0's W6's, W9's and W7's...others to benefit PY. LU, 4X4,SV,
> 9A,I,and the list goes on and on...
>
> Will distance based scoring help participation.....no doubt about
> it.....does the ARRL DX need something to jumpstart their
> contest...Definately.....
>
> I view this as a last stand for contesting in general...this will be
> my last sunspot cycle maybe...by the time it ends , I will be 70+ in
> age...and I probably won't be doing much tower climbing..so it is one
> time to correct a wrong and have a playing field that is much closer
> to level....
>
> More to come
>

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