[CQ-Contest] 100 Watt power limit for Sprints-Discuss

[PaulKB8N at aol.com]

I have been a competitor the Sprints since the 1990s, and,  to the best of 
my recollection, have finished in the Top Ten LP every  time I entered, 
except once (I was 11th). I won the LP category once, and  had a few top five 
finishes.  
 
I ask...please... don't change anything!
 
This is one contest where a small pistol can actually thrive in a  
competitive environment.  I have no aluminum.  The thickest  conductor on any of my 
antennas is #22 wire, with an average height of  about 30', hidden from view 
in an antenna-restricted neighborhood.  I  take a 20 dB pounding from the 
High Power guys running 1500 watts into gain  antennas, yet 30 minutes into 
the contest, I'm keeping pace with many of the Big  Guns.  I credit this to a 
positive attitude and a very agile station.
 
I've never done a practice Sprint, I've rarely done two Sprints in  a 
season (I'm a musician, and Saturday nights are my money  nights).  Despite this, 
I still feel like I can be competitive in this  contest, and I love the 
fight!  Having said that, the LP scores in the most  recent Sprint were 
terrific, so staying in the Top Ten in the future will  be a huge challenge. 
 
But if you look at the close cluster of scores in the LP category, it seems 
 unlikely that anyone is cheating.  But IF someone IS  running 1500W to get 
a competitive LP score, shame on  you, you're just making us legitimate 
small pistols look that  much better!
 
The beauty of the Sprint is that the QSY rule is the great equalizer.   It 
forces everyone to do what us low power guys do best -- S &P!  I  think if 
there is any way to further categorize the competition, it would  be to have 
SO1R and SO2R categories at both the high and low power  categories.  I 
think this  would encourage entry-level Sprinters with single-radio stations  to 
compete at both power levels. 
 
Other than that, it ain't broke, PLEASE don't fix it!
 
Paul, K5AF
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/19/2011 5:43:06 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
daleputnam at hotmail.com writes:


NAQCC uses wire antenna catagories, but their definition is  that a wire 
antenna with gain is the same as a yagi or quad, that's fine on  20, but 
doesn't allow for the turning of the "beam" antenna... and I don't  think there 
are too many of us that turn a 3 or 4 hundred foot diameter  antenna much. 
And what about the low bands... where the gain isn't there, but  is still 
claimed to be a QRO station with the power limited to qrp levels....  all these 
make it tuff to "level" the field. The erp of an antenna is a good  point, 
that is often overlooked, and so it the takeoff angle. Too bad we don't  have 
a standard measurement for antenna effectiveness. Then it would level the  
field easier. Maybe it would be acceptable to just lower the power. Adding  
classes, adds to the support efforts, and only expands the oppurtunity for  
those that stretch the limits. If all of the entries were qrp, the obvious  
"stretchers" would be just that, and just because they want to flaunt the  
obvious that they
don't have a conscience, doesn't make me enjoy the  competition any less.   

--...   ...--
Dale -  WC7S in Wy
> From: ku8e at bellsouth.net
> To:  cq-contest at contesting.com
> Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:09:04  -0400
> Subject: [CQ-Contest]  100 Watt power limit for  Sprints-Discuss
> 
> When these discussions come up no one ever  seems to talk about the ERP of
> the antennas that people are using. If  you change the power limit to 100
> watts is it fair for someone using a  wire antenna such as a dipole to
> compete directly against someone  using directional gain antennas such as
> yagi's and quads ? This surely  isn't a level playing field.
> 
>  
> 
> I wish  NAQP would go to high power and low power categories. I think the
>  Sprints are fine the way they are. The noisy conditions on 40 and 80  
meters
> in last night's Sprint was a good example of why we should keep  high 
power.
> 
>  
> 
> Jeff
>  
>  
> 
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