[CQ-Contest] Be careful what you wish for

[ve4xt at mymts.net]

The main benefit I see from the one-Q per station rule is it democratizes SS unlike other contests.

Here is what leads me to this conclusion: megabuck GA station is going to work out California on 20 and higher before sunset. Because of this, his 6/6/6 on 80 (cmon, have a sense of humor) is not as valuable, so he's primarily left working on 80 what he can't work on the high bands, just like everyone else.

Give him the chance to work all those W6s again on 40 and 80, which he can do far easier than Joe Lunchbucket with an inverted vee at 50, and again on 160 with his high dipole, and you've turned SS into a megabuck-station-only contest like many of the others.

SS is unique in how small stations can still do quite well. Much of that is due to the neutering of multi-element low-band antennas through the one-q per station rule. I like the fact a good op may need nothing more than a tribander and shorty-forty on the same tower to win.

I get that Sunday doldrums are a drag, but I'm not sure opening up this particular rule is the best answer.

73, kelly, ve4xt 



Sent from my iPad

> On Nov 6, 2017, at 10:36, Jeff Clarke <ku8e at ku8e.com> wrote:
> 
> I love CW contests with a passion but I might consider not doing CW SS FT anymore.  I took just about all my off time in one stretch starting at 0800 Z so I could get a decent nights sleep because I dreading operating (BORING) on Sunday. The only thing that kept me going was that I needed about 5 multipliers for a sweep. Watching football when operating also helped me get thru it ! If it wasn't for those things I might have quit early.
> 
> Maybe it's the right time to think about a rules change because it isn't  going to get better anytime soon. The declining sunspots will make participation decrease even more than it has.  I'm still fairly young in my 50's and I'm afraid in 10 years there won't be anyone to work in a CW contests.  Lots of checks in the 1950's and 1960's. Not as many in the 1970's when I was licensed. Very few above the 1990's and 2000 +.
> 
>  I know it's been discussed before but maybe it's time to allow a QSO with the same station on multiple bands. It would at least make SS more fun. Before anyone argues this wouldn't be fair consider pretty much the same people win every year because they have a good station/antennas and are SO2R experts. Plus most have a geographical advantage as well. I will admit I have it a lot better in Georgia then I did in Ohio. But not as good as those on the west coast. How else could I make almost make 400 QSO's on 20 meters using a dipole at 40 feet? Plus when 40 meters goes long it's good for me too because the guys north of me can't work each other. That gives me somewhat of a captive audience. On the other hand 80 meters isn't as good for me as it was in Ohio. Always get beat out when a station further away is called by someone closer to them. So no matter the advantage you might enjoy it might be offset by someone else's on another band.
> 
> I also wish they would make SO2R a separate category because it gives someone an advantage similar to SOA.
> 
> Jeff KU8E
> 
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