[CQ-Contest] WRTC 2022 qualifications criterias? Any new thoughts or ideas?

[Igor Sokolov]

Kari,

The situation with decreasing number of active contesters is pretty 
universal. Anyway organizing local event similar to WRTC is not that 
difficult. We have started doing it in 1999. Then few years later hams 
in UA9U area (Kemerovo) joined, taking the same rules that we have 
developed and now people in UA4S are doing it basically with the same 
contest rules and at the same time.

Initially we only provided a venue - long field stretching South-North 
so that when beaming West (our main direction to EU) all the antennas of 
the participants were side by side. The distance between centers of 
adjacent positions was 200 meters. This is enough separation when 
everybody runs 100W and yet mimics QRM situation of a big contest. Each 
participant brings a friend who acts as a referee for another 
participant. This ensures lack of cheating. Initially there were limits 
set for number of antennas, boom length and antenna height. Later we 
home made simple Spiderbeams and 10 m masts so that we are now able to 
supply each participant with the same antenna (Spider for 20-15-10 and 
IV for 40m). All of the above creates as equal conditions for all the 
participants as possible and we are able to find just best operators. 
Number of participants is usually between 10 and 20. I think the biggest 
number we had was 23. We accept everybody who wants to come and participate.

Besides being really tough and interesting competition, this is also 
social event which is attended by friends and family members. It is also 
a good training course for those, who becomes interested in contesting 
and wants to learn from experienced operators.

Again, if you decide to give it a try, I will help you with rules and 
all our organizational experience.


73, Igor UA9CDC


08.07.2018 14:44, Kari Gustafsson пишет:
>
> Hi Igor,
>
> Thank you for the input. Very kind of you to help out.  I appreciate it.
>
> You say “What prevents you from organization this pre-qualification 
> runs…?” When I started in ham radio 1973 we were something like 
> 8000-9000 SM hams. The activity level was very high. A club in every 
> town, 4-5 ham radio firms selling a lot. It was booming. Three 
> manufacturers of towers and antennas.
>
> Today it is a complete other story. The number of active hams in 
> Scandinavia has rapidly decreased. Both with respect to active DX-ers 
> and to contesters. We have about 10 000 hams in SM but the average age 
> has rapidly passed over 60 years. Judging from DX meetings, club logs 
> for DX-peditions and ham radio sales I estimate number of active 
> DX-ers+contesters in SM to a maximum of 100 – 150 persons. Radio clubs 
> are closing down to mostly in activity but also to problems having 
> permit to raise antennas. The sales of ham radio equipment has dropped 
> about 50-70 %. In latest CQ WPX we were 5 SM in SOAB HP (place 20, 57, 
> 86, 106 and 124) out of 50 SM hams. More participated in CQ WW about 
> 100 SM but only about < 30 with number of QSO:s > 500 QSO:s. So how 
> many would be regarded as real active contesters in SM?  I would say 
> 15-17 persons. That is the fact. In my judgement.
>
> After our top SM contesters (two that now have qualified for WRTC) I 
> judge that we  have perhaps one more in the top elite class capable of 
> today qualifying based on the last year’s results from the major 
> contests. And perhaps potentially 1-2 more but they do not have the 
> station capabilities (some run from apartments with wire antennas and 
> 300 W but do it extremely well) to compete as I see it. Then there is 
> a huge gap to the rest of casual contesters. It looks to me the same 
> in OH-land.
>
> So to this pre-qualification run set-up it would be a tough challenge. 
> Still I have not ruled it out. If I get a mate to share the investment 
> in time I will make a try. And I remember your helping hand.  Perhaps 
> next WRTC period more SM hams will re-evaluate and put a higher gear 
> into high level of contesting. Like myself (?!)I guess this is evolution J
>
> How does it look in Russia? You seem more active. I participate 
> sometimes in the Wednesday mini contest and I find it exciting. Lots 
> of UA-hams.
>
> 73s Kari SM0HRP
>