[RTTY] ARI Digital 2002 - O H 2 B P

[Don Hill AA5AU]

Hi Kari,

You aren't the only one bitten by the "10-minute" rule in ARI.  I hate
to admit it, but I was 4 hours into the contest when I went back
to re-read the contest rules and discovered the "10-minute" rule.
I was very embarrassed and it took the wind out of my sails.

I ended up "unclaiming" about 25 QSO's.  However, it only reduced
my score by about 14k.  I was able to go back and work a couple
of stations a second time.

There is no plausible reasoning behind a 10-minute rule for single ops.
It does not even the playing field.  It does not hinder SO2R ops.
We still have an advantage.  It only discourages participation.  It
doesn't do us any good to complain here and I hope this isn't
being perceived as "complaining".

10-minute rule or not, I'm still going to compete.  It's just a shame that
contest organizers feel they need a 10-minute rule.  It serves
no useful purpose.

I see many saying the bands weren't good this weekend.  That really
isn't true, at least not down here in bayou country.  The numbers
were good and the bands were open.  It's just no one showed up.

When I was running 15 meters on Sunday, I was listening to 10.
I copied UN6P several times CQ'ing on 10 with no takers.  He got
stuck there because of the 10 minute rule.  The rule kept me and
many others from going to 10.  10 meters was good and open on
Sunday, but no one would go there because of the 10-min. rule.

I copied many of the big Russian contest stations CQ'ing on 10M
with no replies.  These are stations that had well over 700 Q's.  It
was a shame to see it.  I would occasionally CQ on 10 and the EU
stations I worked all had good signals.  But I would find a mult on
10 and work him, then get stuck for the rest of the 10 minutes CQ'ing
with no takers.  What fun is that?  Like Tom Hanks says in the movie
"BIG" - "I don't get it.".

I made no contacts on 40 or 80 meters.  There were no RTTY signals on
either band when I listened.  I wasn't about to go CQ with no answers
and get stuck on either of those bands for 10 minutes.  I'd rather
stay on 20 and make some contacts.  The 10-minute rule kills the
low bands.  I would have gone to 40 and 80 if I had found a multiplier,
but there was nothing there.

The 10-minute rule kills another fun aspect of contesting.  That is
getting multipliers to move to other bands.  Can't do it with a 10-minute
rule.

The WAE has apparently dropped it's 10-minute rule for single
ops this year.  I am looking at the official rules at:

http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/xedcwr.htm

I do not see the 10-minute rule for single ops anywhere in the rules.
If this is the case, I applaud the WAE for realizing the 10-minute
rule is bad for single ops and for listening to our complaints.

I would encourage anyone sending in a log for ARI to express
their displeasure of having a 10-minute rule for single ops.  Or,
if you didn't participate because of the 10-minute rule, send an 
E-mail instead of a log telling the contest manager that you did not
participate because of the rule.  It apparently worked for WAE.

However, I believe the ARI E-mail address is still broke.

Comments welcome.

73,
Don AA5AU


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kari Hirvonen" <kari.hirvonen@alpha.fi>
To: "CCF" <ccf@contesting.com>; <rtty@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 3:56 AM
Subject: [RTTY] ARI Digital 2002 - O H 2 B P


> O H 2 B P   ARI Digital Only / SOAB / High
> 
> No of Qsos:  548
> Sum of points: 2114
> I-Provinces:  94  (141 Italy stns)
> DXCC: 150
> Wrk hours: 22 h
> 
> Claimed Score: 515816
> 
> After contest log preparation supprised the operator by the 10-min band
> change rule.
> Now some band changes violate that stupid rule, which should belong to
> the past.
> 
> However,
> 
> T h e   L i f e   i s   F o r    R T T Y   C o n t e s t i n g
> 
> 73 de Kari OH2BP
> 
> 
> --
>                 Kari Hirvonen, Alpha Point Ltd (Alfa Point Oy)
>            /\   Vernissakatu 8A, FIN-01300 Vantaa, Finland
>           /  \  kari.hirvonen@alpha.fi   (private: oh2bp@alpha.fi)
>    ___   /  /   WWW: http://www.alpha.fi/oh2bp
>  /  _  \/  /    Show room addr. Maatullinaukio 10 B Helsinki
> /  / \     \           Mobile: +358-50-68800
> \  \_/  /\  \   /\     Office: +358-9-34 64 34 1
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>                 Amateur Radio Call OH2BP / OH0BP
> 
> 
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