[CQ-Contest] FT4 contesting mode - scoring scenario - dump RTTY RU and use SP rules

[Jeff Blaine]

Now is the time to take another look at the FTx scoring system for 
contesting.  After all, if FT4 is a contesting mode, then why not use an 
accompanying scoring system that lets the best features of the mode be 
realized.  Right?

So far all of the FTx contests have used the RTTY RU rules (as far as I 
can tell) - it was what the first guys who organized the contest came up 
with and it's moved forward under the same rules since.  The combined 
mode experiment in the Jan 2019 RTTY RU allowed the mode which added to 
the momentum.  And since that time it seems as if the RTTY RU exchange 
is a given.  This is a HUGE mistake for the FTx modes - and here's why...

Traditionally, high scores in RTTY RU depend on rate.  While mults are 
awarded for DX under RU, there is not much of a premium paid to the 
participant for DX because once you have worked a given DX entity, 
working the same country again only provides the Q.   And a big 
constraint of the FTx modes are an essentially fixed rate - which means 
the top competitors are going to have similar (if not almost identical) 
Q-counts.

So what is the FTx family GOOD AT?  Well, they are good at DX. And by 
using the RTTY RU scoring system going forward is like sticking your 
shiny new 500 HP car on a 20mph neighborhood.  Why not pick a slightly 
different scoring rule set which would exploit the mode's capabilities 
and let them shine?  Get FTx out on the open road where it can rock and 
roll!

Here is one EASY answer:  Most people are already familiar with the STEW 
PERRY contest which runs a few times each year on 160. In the SP, the 
point "value" of each Q depends on the DISTANCE between your station and 
the other guy.

The exchange in SP is a grid square - oh, what do you know - the native 
exchange for FT8 is a grid square too!  Seems that FT4 would support a 
grid square exchange as well with minimal fiddling on the code end.

I urge the contest organizers and those interested in the FTx modes to 
consider dumping the RTTY RU scoring and adopting the SP scoring method 
because it's a much more natural fit with the mode.  500 HP cars itch 
for a stretch of open road - and FTx urns to be let loose to do it's 
magic on DX.

73/jeff/ac0c
alpha-charlie-zero-charlie
www.ac0c.com