[CQ-Contest] Contest competitiveness

[RT Clay]

This topic keeps coming back...and underneath that elephant is the whale in the room: propagation advantage of different locations which is an even bigger factor in both DX and domestic contests. Things can be done by contest sponsors to offset it a little- for example hold domestic contests at different times of the year; choice of multipliers and maybe distance-based scoring in DX contests.

Tor
N4OGW



On Wednesday, September 17, 2014 9:37 AM, David Cockrum <n5do at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
 

>
>
>As I read the responses about the history of low power, specifically 150 
>vs 100 watts, I think we are missing the elephant in the room.When it 
>comes to factors that help an operator do well in contests at the top of 
>the list should go antennas.We divide competitors in many contests into 
>three categories based on power:high, low, and qrp.Yet in each of these 
>categories the best scores are made by those with the best antenna systems.
>
>For the most part the power categories divide us into groups that 
>correspond to antenna systems as well.The stations with big antenna 
>systems usually operate in the high power category, those of us with 
>lesser systems often operate in low power and QRP categories.
>
>From my point of view I have a small antenna system (SteppIR at 50 
>feet), but I know I have it much better than many others.After every 
>contest in which a relatively large number of "casual" operators are 
>worked, I receive many QSL cards which state the antenna is a "wire 
>antenna in the attic," multiband vertical, or other marginal antenna.
>
>As long as there are communities that regulate antenna height and deeds 
>with restrictive covenants, contesting will continue to have a hard time 
>attracting new blood to replace our aging membership. No one wants to 
>compete in an activity in which they have little chance to do well. 
>Perhaps every contest should have a category for those individuals with 
>restricted space antennas.
>
>73,
>
>Dave, N5DO
>
>
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