[CQ-Contest] Level Playing Field and Geography

[Tom Haavisto]

This is interesting and is similar to the issue that NQ4I has raised
for several years now.  Namely, that he is too far south to be
competitive in a DX contest where working Europe is a must.  FWIW:
even though I am a VE3, I am above Minnesota, and there is a big
difference in propagation from here and other VE3's east of me.  So -
for all intents, I too am disadvantaged in a DX contest like the CQWW.

That said, I would like to repeat what I told Rick - NQ4I.  Start a
NEW DX contest, with rules that you feel are fair to everyone in every
part of the world.  If folks like the rules, they will come and play.
If they don't - well - it will die a quick death.  Pick your
weekend(s), and away you go.  Based on the tremendous (and growing)
popularity of the CQWW, why mess with a good thing?  Leave it alone.
Start a new contest, and see what happens...

Tom - VE3CX


On 5/25/15, Jim Brown <k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:
> On Mon,5/25/2015 5:05 PM, Steve Sacco NN4X wrote:
>> Perhaps all entries should be graded on a curve?  /sarc
>
> A concept I've toyed with is for stations within each geographic region
> are assigned a handicap based on how their scores compare to other
> scores in the same region. For example, stations in W1 make a logical
> region. ARRL sections SNJ, NLI, ENY, NNJ, WDC, DE, and EPA might make
> another one. WNY, NNY, WPA, OH, MI, WV, and the ON sections might be
> another. Canada east of VE3 another. And so on. A station's final score
> in a contest would be adjusted based on a factor proportional to his
> score and the average of all scores in his region.
>
> This simple concept (simple now, thanks to computing power) could be
> part of leveling the playing field in a lot of contests. The other half
> of it is changing the scoring rules so that more stations want to work
> each other. This might involved redefining what counts as a multiplier,
> or perhaps eliminating multipliers and going to distance-based scoring,
> like the Stew Perry.
>
> K6XX, for example, has long suggested counting entities within the
> European Union as a single multiplier. Don't like all those lovely EU
> multipliers going away? How about call area multipliers for VK and ZL,
> and multipliers for JA prefectures?
>
> All of these suggestions are VERY easily implemented with computers that
> are on all of our desks. Heck -- I've seen scoring rules changes added
> to N1MM Plus in a week! With this sort of change, CQWW actually BECOMES
> a WW contest, rather than a party for the privileged class.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>