[CQ-Contest] Distance-Based Ranking

[Jim Brown]

On Tue,11/10/2015 3:15 PM, Ward Silver wrote:
> Distance-based scoring really won't work for bands on which there is a 
> skip zone.

Horse-pucky!  Scoring rules determine who wants to work whom. For 
stations in Zones 3, 11, 12, 13, 29, 30 to have fun in a DX contest, 
there must be a real desire for other stations to work them. Those zones 
are remote from population centers, and for the most part, there's only 
2-3 countries in a zone. VK is a continent larger than EU, yet only one 
country multiplier and two zone mults. EU is much smaller than South 
America, but EU has 5X the country multipliers.

Distances DO matter on bands with skip zones. I cited examples in an 
earlier post. Stations and power being equal, I can work a LOT more 
mults on more bands in IARU, CQ, and ARRL DX contests from W1 than I can 
from W6.

We need FAR more than "ranking" by zone or geographical area. We need a 
system where an operator in all but the most remote parts of the world 
is at least in the same contest with those in the Atlantic basin, and 
where his final score is determined by comparison with his geographic 
peers. It IS possible to design scoring rules that achieve this. It's 
like the US Congress -- we simply need the WILL to do it.

73, Jim K9YC