[CQ-Contest] Distance-Based Scoring

[Gerry Treas K8GT]

Thanks Ward for your calmly reasoned explanation that you also sent to 
the reflector some time ago..

What was it, about 2 years ago when this same discussion was raging?  
Seems that no one was listening then and are not remembering all that 2 
years later.

I understand why some are hoping for a better way to "level the playing 
field", but we contesters know about propagation, both regular average 
differences and the shorter term variations.  There are different types 
of propagation from locations at higher latitiudes than those from lower 
latitudes to a location the same distance away.  Distance scoring 
doesn't help there.

I wish that there was a way, but there isn't a simple one.

Your suggestions are one way to approach the problem.

73, Gerry, K8GT



On 26-May-15 13:56, Ward Silver wrote:
> In any contest on bands for which there is a skip zone, distance-based 
> scoring will not work.  Imagine how hard it is to work a station on 10 
> meters 200 miles away by backscatter compared to, say, 2500 miles away 
> by F2 skip.  Distance-based scoring works on 160 and 80, sometimes it 
> would work on 40, mostly it won't work on 20-10 or 6 meters.  It might 
> be worthwhile on 2 meters and higher-frequency bands.
>
> Nor is there a handicapping system that equalizes the vagaries of 
> propagation between wildly different locations that is not in itself 
> wildly complicated.  Believe me, I've tried over the years to imagine 
> a system that would actually work.  They would have to be redesigned 
> every single year and then be adjusted based on propagation during the 
> actual contest.  Perhaps there's a doctoral thesis or two in there but 
> not a contest scoring system.
>
> My opinion is that regional-based reporting and operator comparison 
> works a lot better and is actually close to comparing apples to 
> apples.  The WRTC qualification systems move in that general direction 
> although for really big regions (Africa, Oceania, etc) there isn't 
> enough granularity to achieve the desired purpose. Think about a sort 
> of RRTC - Regional Radiosport Team Championships.
>
> If we put the amount of energy spent chasing impossible weighting and 
> scoring systems into recognizing the really great efforts and 
> accomplishments among regional peers, it would benefit everyone. 
> Sponsor a regional plaque or a regional competition or contribute a 
> regional writeup to the sponsors or create a regional rating system - 
> all quite doable, costs little, promotes the contest, recognizes good 
> efforts - what's not to like?  Of course, that would require *us* to 
> do something instead of the sponsors :-)
>
> 73, Ward N0AX
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