Topband: My take on ARRL 160 (MAR)

[W2RU - Bud Hippisley]

On Dec 4, 2011, at 11:52 AM, KM1H wrote:

> Low ham population and a small geographical area Mike.
> 
> You, or anyone else aint gonna change the ARRL for any reason...its a 
> dictatorship.


The origin of the multipliers for the ARRL 160 contest is in the ARRL Field Organization structure at the time the contest came into existence.  Back then, the Canadian "sections" were an integral part of the ARRL field organization, complete with a Canadian Division director on the ARRL Board of Directors.  That is no longer true, and so it's possible the Canadian "sections" in these so-called "domestic" contests are now determined by one or more of the following:
	*  historical context
	*  coin toss
	*  RAC guidance to ARRL
	*  ARRL contest branch / CAC determination after hearing all the input from everyone
	*  Some other process that I'm not privy to  

I have no special insight into the current process but it seems to me that, since the sponsor of this particular contest IS, after all, ARRL, it is within their "province" to decide what constitutes a multiplier.  (Please pardon the pun.)

Seriously, though, I would think there would be an opportunity for amateurs in the Maritime Provinces to make their case to the ARRL contest branch — which might then ask for guidance from RAC or whoever has most recently "defined" list of provinces used as a basis for the "section multipliers" in this and Sweepstakes.

If my memory serves me correctly, this contest began in response to the "opening up" of 160 meters on the North American continent with the retreat of LORAN in this region of the world.  It was, at the time, very much a DOMESTIC contest, intended to help bring USA & VE amateur activity to the band, which had previously suffered greatly from all the split frequency ranges and very low power limits.  It was only later, probably after lobbying by various amateurs, that QSOs with DX stations got to be a significant contributor to scores.

For me, personally, the ARRL 160 Contest is a DOMESTIC contest; I love this contest because I think hunting down 80 or so "sections" — especially when nine of them are in California — is a whole lot more interesting for strategy than just having to find a single California station along with the other 49 states and however many provinces.  (It's my old ARRL CD Party upbringing....)  It's also great practice for knowing the Section multipliers that you'll be looking for in the Sweepstakes.  For many years, I did not have a station capable of working Europeans in this contest.   Now I sometimes do, depending on propagation.  However, I still see it as a domestic contest, and the QSO points and multipliers given for working DX are, in my humble opinion, a distraction — a distraction that has led to a lot of today's chatter about the contest here on the reflector.

Frankly, I don't see why EVERY contest has to be a DX contest.  I especially don't see why the ARRL 160 Contest has to be just like the CQ 160 Contest.  But that's my personal opinion.

And yes, it's tough being in the national Top 10 when you're located in one of the outlying territories.  But that's a double-edged sword;  being in those territories almost guarantees you a steady stream of people wanting to work you, which is certainly not the case here in WNY....:-)  As the sun came up this morning, the only pile-up I heard going on as I tuned 160 was on the lone Alaskan station holding forth.  I know I certainly didn't have any pile-ups at that point!

We can't level the playing field when we're spread all over the lot geographically.  On 160, distance matters, and the guys in the middle of the continent are going to have an easier shot at making domestic QSOs than those of us near one coast or the other.  And while you may prefer grid squares and systems like that, ask any of us in the northern parts of this continent how using grid squares "creates" openings for us.  If there's no propagation from KL7 to the "lower 48", for instance, it doesn't really matter whether the KL7s lost out on working a bunch of ARRL sections or couldn't get any grid square distance points because nobody could hear them. 

As to the ARRL 160 Contest being a training ground for new hams — I agree with that.  The first few years of my hamming I learned contesting in CD Parties and Sweepstakes because I didn't have a station that could compete for DX.  I learned operating procedures, I learned strategy, I learned the ARRL field organization, I learned North American geography, and I developed a great sense of fraternalism with like-minded operators from those domestic contests.   The only thing significantly different about getting into contesting on 160 is that there is a greater challenge to getting a reasonably efficient antenna up.  But that's why we have this reflector — to help newcomers to the band!  And unlike 10-meter contests, we KNOW the band is going to be open and QSOs possible EVERY December!

Finally, if anyone has a bug up his/her posterior about contests whose multipliers are based on the ARRL field organization, the solution is simple:  Don't get in them!   It's very clear the popularity of this contest has grown over the years, and there's no law (yet) that says each of us has to like every contest that's on the calendar.

Bud, W2RU