[CQ-Contest] CQWW Survey

[Paul O'Kane]

On 19/03/2013 19:13, Randy Thompson K5ZD wrote:

> I bet sailboat racing was a lot different before they had GPS.

Sometimes I don't make my points clearly.

In drawing a comparison between using the internet
while contesting, and using motors while sailboat
racing, I said

   "no one, anywhere, uses another form of propulsion
   in sailboat racing and claims to be sailing."

I have yet to see a GPS that might be considered a
form of propulsion, but perhaps I'm not aware of
the latest technology.

K5ZD has responsibility for the CQ WW survey.  The
survey asks "Should the Single Operator and Single
Operator Assisted Categories be combined into one
Single Operator category?"  To better assist in
determining what might happen, let's apply a
similar question to boat racing.

The question becomes "Should Sailboat Racing and
Powerboat Racing be combined into one category?"
We don't need much imagination to describe the
likely outcome.  All entrants would have to be
powered to be competitive.  However, this would
be intolerable for the sailboat enthusiasts. They
would refuse to enter combined races and, sooner
or later, would set up their own events.

So, what do we think might happen to CQ WW if all
single operators had to connect to the internet to
be competitive?

I suggest that, regardless of how the results
of this survey question are interpreted, it might
be prudent to retain the SO Unconnected category
in CQ WW.  After all, who would survey powerboat
racers on an issue that concerned only sailboat
racers?

73,
Paul EI5DI