[CQ-Contest] Level Playing Field - my 2 cents

[steve.root at culligan4water.com]

"However, the "poor saps" as you call them would be more competitive 
with everyone closer to Europe. Because of where the vast majority of 
contacts to be made are located, everyone farther from Europe will be 
at an advantage relative to everyone closer to Europe as compared to 
the current system. Works both ways. Most, except those in extreme 
NE, would be looking straight ahead as well as over their shoulder."

Except it doesn't work that way. If you live in San Diego, you're much farther from Europe that I am in Minnesota
and yet enjoy much better propagation a daily basis. I listen to 160 every morning during the winter, and my notes
show me that I'm almost 4 times as likely to hear a W1 or W2 (who are south of me) working a JA than I am of 
hearing the JA myself. It's that PATH, not a simple distance calculation. Making a "field leveling correction" based 
only on distance will hurt a lot of people.

73 Steve K0SR
North of the Black Hole