[UK-CONTEST] Jubilee Contest

[Clive Whelan]

 G3SQX Ed Taylor wrote: [ about IOTA]
> I know that it does not have universal approval among UK contesters,
> to some extent because many IOTA operators are poor contest operators.
> However, this is improving, and if more good UK contesters made an
> effort, things would get better.  The scoring system is not to everyone's
> taste, and there are probably still too many sections, but it works, with
> good points as well as bad.  I don't think it's too much to ask every UK
> contester to make an effort to enter the IOTA Contest for 12 hours.  If we
> could get as many G stations on the air for the IOTA Contest as there were
> for the Jubilee, the contest would be transformed.
>


I agree with all that Ed says about the Jubilee event; sad but true.


About IOTA:

Poor operating, sadly yes. What can I say when a station refuses to work me 
unless I tell him which "Island" I'm on, that is certificate hunter mentality. 
Ed has opined ( separately) that this was probably multi op S&P stations who 
could not work EU005, and is therefore valid . That is like saying that DX 
operators who QRM the pile up frequency asking "call?" instead of listening 
for a few rounds, are also behaving acceptably; not in my book they ain't. 


Too many sections, you bet, real Mickey Mouse stuff. Even when I knew Ed had 
operated a while back as TF/G3SQX, it took me ages to find him in the 
listings. 


Scoring system. I don't even remember what it is, which is probably sufficient 
comment!


More UK contesters to enter? Unlikely I feel in view of the above perceptions. 

None of this means that IOTA is not successful, clearly it is. However I 
submit that it is not as an international contest, rather as an IOTA QSO 
party, and fun summertime DXpedition forays in Europe. There is absolutely 
nothing wrong with this, but let us be clear about our definitions.


Thus, I believe that RSGB does not have a successful international contest per 
se, and the speculated demise of the Jubilee contest , indicates that it will 
not have.

Crucially therefore;


Ed also said

> also think that the HFCC should get behind some interesting non-RSGB
> contests: WAE and the European Sprints.  Let's support these with
> trophies and certificates (and publication of results?), because each
> one has its own unique format.  WAE, in particular, has plenty of
> scope for tactics, and rewards accurate copying.  The Sprints are
> ideal for anyone who likes AFS, but with a twist which makes them suddenly a
> bit more difficult.
>


Absolutely correct. If we can't hack it ourselves, let's support those who 
have proved that they can, as above. I would love to think that this could 
work, but fear that it might not, in view of our famed antipathy towards 
anything vaguely perceived as European. I would dearly like to be proved wrong 
in this regard.

73


Clive

GW3NJW
gw3njw at gw7x.org
Contest Cambria-http://www.gw7x.org