Topband: November 30-December 2 -- ARRL 160 Meter Contest

[Eddy Swynar]

On 2012-11-29, at 6:15 PM, Herb Schoenbohm wrote:

> Again this weekend the ARRL presents the worst and most unfair 160 meter competition ever devised.  I must sound like a broken record on this problem but I have sent letters and e mail to members of the CAC to asked them to allow the US Territories to be what they are "DX" as it is impossible to even get listed for an effort that if I was treat like VP2V which I can see from my house, I would at least have a chance, in fact i would have come in first lace in the past few years as a DX station.  The CAC, the few who will write me back, say that any changes to rectify a totally unfair contest, is out of their hands and decided by a special secretive group inside the ARRL, who are not contesters at all. BTW for the purpose of this contest KP2 is counted the same as Navassa and Puerto Rico counts as Desecheo. Now how is that for a totally nonsensical approach.  Maybe you could demand Navassa credit on 160 after working me, but I really doubt that the DX desk will be amused.  In the Pacific, Guam and Hawaii all count the same as KH8 and KH8S in the vast Pacific region thousands of miles apart.  None have even a chance to do well with the decks stacked against them.  So they just don't participate at all.
> 
> I had thought that in protest this year I would phase my Beverages on Europe and only listen to help out those who need the Virgin islands on 160.  Yet out of my concern for showing good sportsmanship I will work anyone I can hear.  But there is a request I have in return:  If I work you and give you the rare VI section, please take a few minutes after the contest to send an E mail to your division Director and copy the members of the CAC about fixing this long lingering unfairness.  The E mail addresses are available on the ARRL website.  The message is simple DX must be counted as DX as the VI, PR and all the other U.S. Territories are in their other DX contests.
> 
> Also Gary, KD9SV has a great write up in QST but only is given two pages and can't mention the efforts of only a few east coast big guns.  No matter how hard I try there is no way a station outside of the 48 states can even get mentioned.  ARRL Field Day has a write up that is 13 pages long.  So one can think that 160 meters is still an after thought and those I try to reach out to at HQ really don't care.  Maybe i should get a bigger thrill out of working someone in SJV or SB or whatever but DX is DX and if the ARRL whats to have a 160 meter DX contest, this is not a good example of one.  It never has been.
> 
> Cheers, Good luck and I will reluctantly see you in the contest.



Hi Herb,

Your note reminded me of last year, when both you and (I believe) Frank---V01HP---expressed frustration with the Contest Advisory Committee at the ARRL...

At that time, I established a dialogue with one of the committee members who was situated in western Canada: as I recall, Frank had success in expressing his concerns to him, but I don't recall the outcome of your efforts. Did you, in fact, make a connection to the CAC through that particular window of opportunity...?

If, in fact, you did establish contact with the liaison, it surprises me that the ARRL has been so inactive in addressing your concerns this way...in fact, it is a MAJOR disappointment, in light of past performance on their part years ago.

~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ

PS: I am wondering now how Frank made-out with his concerns...? Are you reading this, Frank...?