[UK-CONTEST] Jubilee contest - the future ?

[Chris Tran GM3WOJ]

Tuesday 11th June 2002

Hello all

Peter G3LET wrote :
>As a one-off to demonstrate that we're not an entirely insular bunch, and
give an >airing to the special calls, it was clearly successful, but I
really can't see it surviving >as a regular long-term event unless there are
some radical changes.

Exactly what I was going to write !   Trying to escape from the mind-set
that
Commonwealth = CW, I decided to enter the SSB only section.  A combination
of poor conditions and lack of multipliers to work made the contest not such
a great experience for me - yes it is good that the HFCC have a new contest
to
develop, but there was not much to make me say 'I want to enter this event
again next year'.   It was disappointing that many BERU regulars chose to
stick to CW instead of even trying the mixed-mode section.

Let's make a comparison with the IOTA contest - IOTA is a great success
because it has got something for everyone - mixed mode, lots of multipliers,
lots of different sections and anyone world-wide can stand a chance of
doing well in the contest (mmm..maybe Europe does have an advantage?)
Overall a very successful event, and a great credit to all those involved in
the running of the event.

On the other hand, I've lost the place slightly about the longer-term plan
for the 'Jubilee' event - is it to replace BERU ? (I can see the spluttering
into the pink gin on the verandah near Nairobi!)   Or is it a new 'work the
UK + Commonwealth' event ?   I don't think there is a place for both
events in the annual calendar, but I may be wrong.

If this event is continue, what radical changes are needed ?  The HFCC
are in a dilemma - if they make each of the UK call-areas (GD, GW, GM)
a separate multiplier, this will make the contest much more interesting for
all other entrants, but would make it very difficult for an ordinary G or M
station to do well in the event - the ferries to GD, GU and GJ would be
busy !   Inter-UK working - I was one of the campaigners against this,
but following last weekend I realise that I was wrong - there are
propagation
issues involved, but I had to tell at least 40 UK stations that I could not
work
them - I could have done with the points, (and the mults. as well !)
Make all QSOs worth the same - 5 points, and that makes scoring easier
and would prevent discrimination against UK stations if they were worth only
1 point for inter-UK working.

The Jubilee event was a moderate success, but it has to avoid being
neither a 'mult' contest like BERU, nor a 'run' contest like WPX.
I think it has the potential to survive and become an important event
in the annual UK contest calendar, but the HFCC probably have only one
chance to make the carefully considered changes needed for this.

73
Chris
GM3WOJ
(GS2MP in the Jubilee contest)