[CQ-Contest] more money's worth

[Bill Parry]

This is an old issue.  We tried to deal with it back in the 70s when I was
on the CAC. Rick is exactly right and there is no doubt. The facts speak for
themselves. The idea that if one station can win one category from west of
the Mississippi River once in a while is irrelevant.

The real issue is do we want to change the contest... and I don't unless we
can keep this a DX contest. I hate the idea of making this a WPX style
contest. I think that the main irritation is not that it is improbable that
stations from some parts of the US have little chance of winning, but the
press that the winners get when others have worked just as hard and don't!

>From the DX point of view the same is the case. When we operated from 6D2X
in the ARRL DX contests, the world was our Oyster.  Our goal was to get WAS
on all 6 bands.  We broke world records. EU stations didn't stand a chance
because of "geography"! We will never make the "playing field level".
Frankly as much as I don't like the "unlevel playing field" I don't like the
idea of changing the contest.  (Just old and set in my ways!)

Gig'em Rick!

Bill W5VX

-----Original Message-----
From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rick Dougherty NQ4I
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 7:11 PM
To: CQ Contest
Subject: [CQ-Contest] more money's worth

I will take a stab at it once again.

There is not one person in the US who can prove to Me that the ARRL
contest is fair! Period! To think that if I get a better enginered
station, or work harder or get more property and then its'
fair....don't think so...its a simple rule of geography! Closer to
Europe is going to win time after time after time!

Don't blow smoke up my pants leg and try to tell me that it is fair
now...not going to happen....if the CAC wants to consider improving my
chanches...GREAT...I am all for it....do I think it wil be a level
playing field...not ever ...too many variables...but the one that is
GLARING in our face right now is GEOGRAPHY....plain and simple....

One Low Band dxer in our local contest club cried the blues after his
station got beat in CQ 160 for the second time in two years...wonder
why...maybe it's not engineered correct...maybe he does not have
enough property...maybe he hasn't spent enough time getting the
station ready...don't know ...but to me its plenty simple...not close
enough to Europe...one fact and one fact only affects the score like
no other .......GEOGRAPHY

I work a job that allows me 180+ days a year to devote to ham
radio...not many people have as much time to spend on the hobby as I
do...I spent a majorityof that time making improvements to the
station, doing antenna repairs, installing bigger and better
antennas..improving station interference, improving radio intra and
inter station interference...I have 2 dedicated engineers that advise
me
on all station matters..one has 3 PHD's!!! The Other is a SENIOR
engineer for one of the wireless telephone mega-giants....to imply
that my station needs more engineering is ABSURD!!!!

Why is it that a station in the New England area can equal my score
with tribanders and wires?? LOCATION....LOCATION.....LOCATION

My blood is boiling.....guess I need to get a few more engineers
involved...gotta get out and purchase more land...gotta retire so I
can do this full time....and MAYBE just MAYBE I might make the top 3
or 4

LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY....I am ready for the critism that I
just know is inbound!



NQ4I
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