[CQ-Contest] NCJ Article RE: Sweepstakes Change Suggestions

[George Fremin III]

On Sun, Mar 18, 2018 at 10:43:54PM -0400, Jeff Clarke wrote:
> I'm perplexed by some of the comments on this subject.  I'm not 
> proposing counting multipliers for each band. (like NAQP) Only allowing 
> QSO's on different bands. 

I never though you were suggesting mults per band.

> assistance but can't accept the possibility of allowing QSO's on 
> different bands. 

Didn't you write this same message a few days ago?

Did you not read the messages I and others posted about this?

Doing this would change the contest in ways that I think are bad.


> I have been doing Sweepstakes for 40 years (from Ohio and the last 15 
> years from Georgia) so I consider myself to be well versed on this subject.

Having done my my SS from Ohio this past year - I am even more perplexed
why you you would want to change this rule.

> 
>    a) For the east coast and eastern part of midwest (W8, W9, eastern 
> W0) - 40 meters during the day and 80 meters at night.

They would have two bands (maybe three if they use 160)

> to 20/15/10 is to work multipliers. If you look at QSO breakdown most 
> stations in this part of the county make 85% of their contacts on 80 and 
> 40 meters.

Right.
You are making my point for me. 

> A station further away from the east coast/midwest area can do very good 
> by operating on just 20 meters during the day and 40 meters at night. 
> Plus 15/10 meters during the day if it happens to open up.

Yes - I can do well on all those bands - that is why Texas and west do better 
in SS (usually) than folks to the east. It is generally easier to work small
and low power / qrp stations on 10/15/20 than on 40/80 and they often 
are more likely to have antennas for the high bands that work.  But we can also 
get to those same population centers on 40 and even 80.

The folks in an around Ohio can work 40 and 80 all contest long and get all
the population centers.  Not so much on 20 meters and up - if at all.


> So allowing contacts on different bands really doesn't give an advantage 
> to anyone. 

Huh?  You just showed  why this would make stations west and KP4/KP2
and KH6 just totally blow this contest apart.

Lets run this over one more time. 

Right now K5TR STX can work stations once per contest
So can K8AZ OH.

K5TR can work all of IL, OH, VA and other large population centers
with ease most weekends on 10(with spots), 15(with less
spots),20,40,80 and 160.

K8AZ can work these population centers on 40,80 and 160 and maybe if he is luckily on 20. 

Who will win this battle of the bands?

> going to kick your a** the way the rules are now. Allowing contacts on 
> multiple bands would probably increase activity (and the fun factor). I 
> guarantee there are lots of people who quit Sweepstakes early after they 
> get a sweep.

I think the jury is out as to if it would increase activity (in this
case logs submitted) a - but it would increase the contact count.  I
and KH7XS and others would make more contacts - that is for sure.  It
would be interesting - the only limit might be the upper limit on rate
some years because getting to go to a new band and start all over -
great.

I would really tilt the field much more in favor of folks with real
antennas for the scatter contacts and RX antennas for the low bands
etc.

K3UA and his dipole will not ever be in the running for 1st. 

VA7RR will beat him by 500 contacts or more that K3UA will never be able
to find anywhere.

I do not see how that is good for the health of the contest.

Do you do the NAQP contests full time?  
How do you like those?

-- 
George Fremin III - K5TR
geoiii at kkn.net
http://www.kkn.net/~k5tr