[CQ-Contest] CQWW Survey

[W0MU Mike Fatchett]

Actually what Randy was pointing out that ALL participants were bound by 
the same rules.  Boats must be X length, sails X Size, can use gps or 
not.  Maybe they have different classes for smaller or larger boats.  
Nothing says that a captain has to use the largest sail out there or the 
gps or using 10 crew instead of 15.

Can  a boat be competitive if using smaller sails and half the crew?  
Probably not.

Single op is single op.  Isn't the internet just another tool in the 
tool box?  Packet, skimmer, RBN. bandscopes, prediction software, 
logging software are other tools that people may or may not use.  Can 
one really claim Single OP unassisted today?  Didn't we just bend the 
rules to allow for computer logging and SCP aids?  Propagation 
prediction software, keyers, voice keyers and on and on.

Why was packet the dividing line?

We will never get to the point where all participants will be using the 
rigs, tower height, number of elements etc or will we.

I understand the desire to "reward" people in contests but I think we 
have gone overboard and that has allowed some dishonestly to creep in.  
QRP...Nobody will know if I run 20 watts instead of the max limit.  Same 
with SS  90X percent of rigs are capable of 100 watts out but A power 
allows for 150.  There are rigs that will do 200 and we expect those ops 
to turn the knob down but the 100w guys are not supposed to use an amp 
and turn it down?

So where along the way we lost the keep it simple stupid philosophy........

Multi single was created so that a bunch of guys could share a single 
rig.  Now we have 20 rigs and 40 guys with a wild switching system, 
supposedly that will only allow one signal transmitted at a time.  Is 
this really the intent of that class?

I am all for pushing the envelope but lets put those efforts into the 
proper classes.

Mike W0MU

On 3/20/2013 5:39 AM, Paul O'Kane wrote:
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
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