[CQ-Contest] ARRL DX Changes as observed in WAE

[Edward Sawyer]

I found myself in the unusual position this weekend of being free this
weekend as my wife is out of town.  Normally, I only reserve the 6 majors
for weekends plus a couple of floaters and WAE has never been a floater for
me.  SO I thought, why not?  It's a great shake down for CQ WW SSB next
month (from that stand point, it was, flushed out a beverage issue and is
helping me practice my new software package).

 

Well, if anyone is in this, they know that conditions are terrible so
far..K's of 3 - 4 - 5 (yes 5) and As of 20 - 35 are not conducive for great
conditions unless SFI is way up there..like 150+ which it is not right now.
So far, 10 and 15 have not opened to EU from here and the absorption on 80
is high.  So this is a 2 band contest.mostly a one band contest.  Maybe it
will change today (notice I am writing this as I listen to WX3B CQ over and
over to nothing on 20and DQ4T in the noise - with a 4/4 stack pointed at him
at 0945Z).

 

So, what's my point?  My point is that one of the proposals floating around
in dialog for ARRL was to let DX work each other. BAD IDEA GUYS!!!  The
difference and the fun is that the DX HAS TO FIND A WAY to work you in ARRL
DX even when the conditions suck.  Just like I am waiting to pounce on EU
right now.  I heard SA and Carib on 15 yesterday and would have much rather
been working mults there than meticulously looking for a remaining few EU
mults on a much overworked 20M band.  Does that help EU boys enjoy the
contest more?  No, its actually detrimental to their enjoyment.  The contest
format actually forces the rest of the world for dig for the second and
third tier CQers which is why as a low power op, It is just as enjoyable to
me as CQ WW.

 

So, while allowing me to work the rest of the world while I wait for 20M t
open to EU might "feel good" to the statisticians and get more people who
don't subscribe to the intended theme (you are supposed to be working EU)
"stay more interested", it actually would harm the theme's goal and is
therefore detrimental to the contest whether or not the stats actually could
rise globally (which I am not sure they even would).

 

Don't believe me?  Here is your chance.  Get on 15 or 10M today and see how
much you "pass by" looking for EU and think for yourself if something
different would "change the experience" for the few EU stations you might
hear in the mud on 15 and that you might call anyway because you need the Q
and the mult on 15.

 

73

 

Ed  N1UR