[CQ-Contest] How to make WRTC more like the Olympics?

[steve.root at culligan4water.com]

Define "Midwest". This speaks to the main reason why the current qualification process is so deeply flawed. The "regions" defined have always been based on population and NOT with any regard (or even the dimmest understanding) of real propagation. It won't make any difference if you create qualifying events. The same small number of people in favorable locations will continue to qualify, and the rest of us won't.

That being said, I agree with Hans and others who have pointed out that half the field is comprised of "best friends" who didn't necessariy qiualify for anything. That's unfair and just plain wrong.

73 Steve K0SR

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Clarke [mailto:ku8e at bellsouth.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2016 11:59 PM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] How to make WRTC more like the Olympics?

Here's an idea. How about having three regional qualifying events that are held during the three IARU contests before the year of the actual WRTC? Use the same rules and the similar FD type setups that are used in the real WRTC. Each team would provide their own station, generator, antenna mast and antennas. Anyone who is a resident in one of the regions could apply to be a participant in one of these events.To pull this off you would need contest clubs in the different regions to provide volunteers to help run these events. This wouldn't be too expensive to do since each team would pay their own expenses for the right to qualify.I could envision in the US regional events being held in the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West Coast and Pacific Northwest. There are major contest clubs in about all these regions. I'm sure this same concept could be used for other countries outside the US.This would greatly level the playing field because most of the people who qualify usually operate from a decent station to get in. There are exceptions to this rule but it's not common. K4BAI and I qualified for WRTC 2006 in Brazil and neither of the two of us have a big station. We got lucky and things just fell into place for us to sneak in.Every good contester should have the opportunity to get to operate a WRTC. That trip to Brazil was and still is the highlight of my contesting career. I'm so grateful to my friend K4BAI for picking me as his teammate because with the current qualifying rules it would have only been a dream to make it there.Jeff KU8E and PW5Y in WRTC-2006Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Droid_______________________________________________CQ-Contest mailing listCQ-Contest at contesting.comhttp://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest