[CQ-Contest] So Sunday Sucked?

[Ward Silver]

 >  How many QSOs did the winners have back in the early years of SS?

142 QSOs x 43 sections for 12,212 points.  Over two weeks and he only 
used the 3.5 and 14 Mc bands.

I have a certificate for W7AAT from that first Sweepstakes - Orvy won 
the Montana section with a mighty 9 QSOs.  In two weeks.  The concept of 
"rate" appears to be a modern thing :-)

The results are in the May 1930 issue of QST.  The contest itself was in 
January.  I don't know when the current format was cemented in place - 
Ellen W1YL did not remember there being any major changes during her 
tenure so it must have been before 1950.

>> The only drawback is there being no "DXpedition allowance" for the 
>> Club Competition in Sweepstakes

> Perhaps that change might be worth making.

That would play hob with the idea of club circles or sections.  The brake on it in ARRL DX is that you have to actually leave the country...er...entity to qualify - operating from a different section or state wouldn't do it. (See General Rule 8.6)

I think the low-hanging fruit here is the 90+% of amateurs who do not participate for whatever reason.  It costs nothing but our goodwill to offer our encouragement and to acknowledge and reward them for doing so.

73, Ward N0AX