[SEDXC] Contest Scoring

[Hal Kennedy]

Dear Jeff,

After 46 years of contesting, my
all-time-best-once-in-a-lifetime-probably-never-to-be-repeated full-hour
hourly rates are: 365/hr for SSB and 229/hr for CW.  To Bob, K4UEE's
point, SSB rates under good conditions are roughly twice what they are
on CW, hence the 2X multiplier.  Under terrible conditions, (160 meters
from the Caribbean during a thunderstorm) SSB rates can drop to zero
while CW rates can still be 30+ per hour; consistent with communications
theory and common practice.  This is the other reason for the 2X
multiplier - to encourage proficiency in a mode that conserves bandwidth
with a concomitant improvement in communication reliability under poor
conditions.  Computer-to-computer modes such as PSK31 are irrelevant to
this discussion; person-to-person modes are telephony and CW.

Since the original question took paragraphs to ask: "Why does CW count
double?" I'm guessing the real question was: Why CW?

Answer:  CW contesting is like pizza and like sex.  Any "words on paper"
description of these things cannot begin to describe what it's like to
experience them.  There is no bad pizza, just good, better and
outstanding.  

As was eloquently pointed out by Dave Leeson at Dayton this year -
contesting (competition vs. HR in general) is about improving skills and
peer recognition - that's it.  As a result, many hams never contest.
Building CW skill is harder than building voice skill, and therefore
more gratifying and held in higher esteem by others.

You can talk into a microphone?  I'm not impressed.  If you don't care
if I'm impressed than you are not a contester - which is just fine.  

Anyone who wonders why there is still such a strong following for CW
contesting need only spend a few hundred hours doing it, at which point
the answer becomes self-evident.  Until you do it, it's just words on
paper.

Best 73 - I hope to work you in a CW contest soon Jeff.

Hal
N4GG