[UK-CONTEST] G numbers

[Andy Cook, G4PIQ]

I have to agree with Chris. I'd like prefer to see a reduction in the number
of domestic contests with the aim of an increased focus on persudading folks
on for and publicising the rules and results for the major international
events. I think this gives benefits in several ways

1. Even as a keen contester who has a relatively large amount of time to
spend, I do believe that there are too many events in the year resulting in
diluted activity levels in each event.

2. High activity contests are more interesting (and challenging) that low
activity ones, and the big international events will always attract more
activity than domestics

3. Putting the focus on the international events enables us to push the line
that there is lots of DX about for the casual op to work - hence trying to
draw the DX operator into the contest fold.

4. Starts to address the non-contest communities' view that there are too
many contests.

However - there has to be a real domestic focus to a move like this - we
can't just rely on the disemination of rules and results through CQ / QST
and, with all respect to Don, through the relatively small coverage in Rad
Com which he is able to give them. We have to enlarge to UK community of
interest in these events so that they are seen as a coherent part of the UK
calander as well. I'd suggest a UK awards programme , with trophies
currently awarded for some UK events which should be closed (e.g. 21/28),
being awarded to the UK winners of an appropriate section of the
international events, and with UK certificates being awarded.

I suggest that we need to go further than though. The Restricted sections in
contests like the 21/28 with power and antenna limits (rather than time
limits like BERU) should offer really good encouragement to the sorts of
typical stations in the UK to compete on a flatter playing field. This sort
of section has not been strongly embraced within the international events
(the WPX TS section is really a big gun station UK style!), and doing a
standalone UK tabulation of 'Restricted' entries and awards (certificates /
trophies) based around this should be further encouragement.

In the case of 21/28 maybe you could just transfer the contests in some form
to a part of the CQWW events.

Perhaps there could also be some negotiation with the organisers on early
visibility of the adjudicated UK results in order to allow preperation of
our special domestic tables for Rad Com. I know that Roger has had these
available for CQWW at least.

With all this in mind, we do however have to bear in mind the level of stick
that the HFCC will have to bear over ANY changes - look at what happened
this year in trying to can a few events. Be nice to your HFCC - they're
obviously trying to move in the right direction, but will get a kicking
whatever they do.