[CQ-Contest] CW SS: Some thoughts

[steve.root at culligan4water.com]

 Howdy,

For many years people on this Reflector have noted the relative lack of "younger" Checks seen in SS exchanges. We are 18 years into the 21st century, and yet the majoity of contacts made are with folks who were licensed 30 to 60 years ago. There is a demonstrable lack of "new blood" in CW SS.

This has been disguised in two ways. First, I submit that the new technologies used in contesting (SO2R, Internet/Cluster, computer dupe checking, logging software with band maps, etc.) have made us all much more effficient at working the majority of people who actually show up on the bands. Without these tools it was much harder to find everyone. Now there are no openings missed, no stones unturned. If you get on and "make a few contacts" people will very efficiently find you and work you. Secondly, it used to be a difficult chore to submit a log. Running through hundreds of entries cleaning up poor penmanship and dupe checking the whole log after the contest and mailing it all in was a big job. Now it couldn't be easier. A couple of minutes of button pushing and your log is on it's way.

Because of these two factors, raw scores and logs submitted would have us believe that all is well. I am convinced however that scores have remained high because we all have become better at scoring, and "logs received" is high because it's much easier to submit a log than it used to be.

A more useful metric might be "Number of unique calls reported". I'm suggesting that this number has been going down ever since the code requirement was dropped. Unfortunately I don't think there is any way to prove my hypothesis unless there is an archive of old contest logs and someone who is willing to type them all into a database of some kind (and I'm not volunteering!). 

This leaves me with two conclusions. First, any change to SS CW contest rules will have no significant effect on the fundamental problem.......CW contest operators are a dying breed. Secondly, if the problem is a lack of enthusiasm for CW SS due to Sunday Doldrums or lower rates, then perhaps a change on the rules could be made to increase the enjoyment for those of us who are left.

73 Steve K0SR