[RTTY] The Makrothen Contest (TMC) - New Date & Time

[Waldemar DK3VN]

Hi,

the decision is made!

Date: October 2004 09th - 10th, the 2nd full weekend each year.
Time: Saturday: 00-08, 16-24z, Sunday: 08-16; days and times in UTC.

This date and operating time frame is the best compromise, we could
find! We know, we can not fulfill each request and make everyone
happy!

During the last days there was an ongoing discussion in the
background about the best date and time frame for this contest.
Maybe some HAM's may believe, the TMC is a "One-Man-Show"; you are
wrong; it is definitely not! I got a lot of support from all over.
I am very thankful about all the help and suggestions, I have
received! Therefore the TMC is a DX- and not a DL-Contest. ~:)


How the date and the operating time frame was selected?
(Priority top down)

1. No weekend with a 24 hour (or longer) RTTY contest, already.
   + No weekend with a major contest in any mode, like the WW,
   WPX, etc..
2. No weekend with a similar mode to RTTY, like PSK, which are
   using (more or less) the same sub bands.
3. No month with 2-3 x 24 hour (or longer) RTTY contest's, already.
4. Taking care about local or semi local and popular contests
   in RTTY, PSK (but less on CW and SSB).
5. Selecting a month, where we can expect good world wide
   propagation on the HF bands.
6. Taking care about weekends with major HAM Meetings, like the
   HAMVENTION and the HAMRADIO.

We believe (and hope), that the predominate majority of HAM's,
here on the RTTY Reflector, will agree with this priority list! 

After checking the most popular contest calendar's (WA7BNM & SM3CER)
and a few other (local) calendar's, the selection list of possible
dates and practical operating time frames is very small!

It's surprising that the number is very high of short running
contests, with local or semi local interest, which are taking
place in the "center" (UTC time) of a weekend! Many of his
contest's are blocking - more or less - the full weekend for
any other 24 hour (or longer) contest in the same mode.

The next steps - or what will follow next.

Based on the first TMC in March (more or less a test ~:) and
many good and interesting recommendation from all over, we will
fine tune the rules until October 2004, the next TMC!

One of the "biggest" change will be the weighting of the worked
distances on the lower bands. The factor "1.5" for 40m and "2.0"
for 80m is an idea, but not decided finally.

Until now we have accepted 161 log's for the TMC in March; more
than we have expected under the well-known circumstances!

BTW: I put on my flame-retardant suit. ~:)

73 de Waldemar, DK3VN
-- 
Big antennas, high in the sky, are better than small ones, low!
Check RWRL http://home.arcor.de/waldemar.kebsch/
or the Mirror http://www.qsl.net/dk3vn/    mailto:dk3vn at darc.de
The Makrothen Contest (TMC)
TMC http://home.arcor.de/waldemar.kebsch/The_Makrothen_Contest/
or the Mirror   http://www.qsl.net/dk3vn/The_Makrothen_Contest/
German DX Foundation #207  http://www.gdxf.de