[CQ-Contest] ARRL November SS is OK for the small station

[Ed Sawyer]

Interesting data about log submissions for SS.

 

CW logs received - 2008 (bottom of cycle) - 1417 

 

CW logs received - 2017 (just released)  - 1275

 

SSB logs received - 2008  - 1870

 

SSB logs received - 2016 (latest available) - 1626

 

Virtually every other major contest is growing - significantly - over the
past 10 and 20 years.  SS has been in decline steadily on CW for a decade
(sunspots or not) and SSB was pretty steady until last year's 200 log drop.
It will be interesting to see 2017.

 

Likely, there are an increasing number of SSB casuals just working some
activity that don't submit a log and very few on the CW side (my opinion).

 

The CW problem seems terminal in my opinion for this contest only.  No other
HF contest has such a poor trend that I can find.

 

SSB can probably stay interesting if enough casuals are willing to figure
out the exchange.

 

I don't see how changing the times does anything other than make some people
frustrated - helping no one needing any help - and CW SS can hardly afford
for any of the faithful to call it quits.

 

73

 

Ed  N1UR (no dog in this fight - just getting some data out there)