Topband: ARRL 160M contest Rules

[Ford Peterson]

Fellow ARRL 160M participants

Perhaps the best way for people to deal with the issues of rules changes, gripes, and complaints, is to forward them to me.  I am passing off this brief summary to Dan Henderson and my director (Jay Bellows) for consideration of a review by the rules committee.  I've been getting private posts directly with gripes and complaints about this and that.  Quite a few have gone through the Topband reflector, which is not a suitable venue for this discussion.  Here is the list so far.  If you have a twist to add to this list, then send it to me and I'll forward it up the chain in summary format.  I gotta tell you, I'm quite a few heartbeats away from whoever it is that decides these matters, but I do write the article and can act as the go-between them and the rest of the planet so Bill doesn't have to edit 490 emails run through the topband reflector.  Perhaps somebody can forward this through the contest reflector and if appropriate, their local club reflectors.  At this point, I express no opinion whatsoever.  But here is the list:

1) Exclude DX from participation under the grounds that it severely distorts scores--basically SS rules apply w/80 mults.
2) Include one DX mult for working JT1 or XE1 or DF2 or ZF2 or PJ2 or XYZ2...  81 total mults (original rules)
3) Change all QSO points to 2 instead of 2 for US/VE and 5 for DX.
4) Clarify the notion of US/VE to include KL, VI, PR, KH, etc.  Either use "US/VE + others" or "Sections."
5) Consider PAC as its own region due to being 2500 miles from other 6 landers.
6) Introduce some notion that would prevent "parking" for 48 hours by big guns.
7) VY2 gets to be DX instead of VE
8) Crop the contest to 24 hours due to lack of participation--everybody runs out of Qs the first night anyway.
9) Clarify "the DX Window."  DX only.  Intercontinental only.  5 KHz or 10 KHz.  DQed for Qs in window or not?
10) Eliminate DX as mults but retain as 5 pt Qs.
11) Eliminate 5 pt Qs and retain DX as mults.
12) Don't change a thing.
13) Consider termination of W1AW on the Friday of Contest weekend.
14) Consider bandwidth limiting this to allow other non-contest Q confusion
15) Consider opening up the members only area to non membership

So there you have it.  A little something for everybody.  Obviously many are mutually exclusive notions.  I express no opinion for or against any or all of these.  I'm just the messenger here folks.  But this is the laundry list as I see it so far.  A copy of this was delivered to Dan Henderson and Director Bellows for consideration by Rules committee.  I presume some form of discussion will ensue regarding all contending rules changes using standard procedures for making changes.

It is with great reluctance and having zipped up my double thick flame suit that I press the "send" button.

Ford-N0FP
ford at cmgate.com