[UK-CONTEST] Planning for 2004 ?

[Lee Volante]

Hi all,

Quite a few comments on this subject - here's my tuppence worth....

Coincidentally it was only on Friday night that I was discussing the contest
calendar with current and old members of the HFCC about the contest
programme.....

I do agree that communication could be improved - I don't know the best way
to do this but it is being talked about.  All of the comments *are* noted.
But sometimes direct interaction has caused more problems than it solved.

One recollection from Friday night was an all day HFCC meeting held a couple
of years ago, that also considered some radical things to the calendar.
However, as the events each had their own individual flavour, strategy, and
following (both from the entrants and the committee) it was difficult to
choose one over another.

There are quite a few all band "everybody works a single country / area"
contests in existence, as well as "everybody works everybody" ones, with and
without any bias for certain stations.   In the UK we're already positively
biased for QSOs in IOTA,  BERU,  UBA etc.  It might actually be considered
anti-social to add yet another similar contest, this time with the UK as the
ones in demand.   There is a lot of variety in the RSGB events, especially
when coupled with the other contests organised by other societies during the
year.   Can we really not find what we need from what is already out there ?
Or is it that we want a contest we can win ?   I say this flippantly, as
only a small proportion of contesters are in a position where they can win,
and also, are we sure we've entered some of these other contests organised
by our neighbours already ?

We know for that the likes of the 21/28 and 7 MHz contests suffered from
lack of support at times, and that adding 14 and 3.5 MHz may not help the
situation.
I do like the suggestion of tidying up the calendar internationally.
Perhaps there are *too many* contests.   We know there are contests held
every weekend.  Most (sane) people are only able to devote more than a short
amount of time to a handful.  By having an ever increasing calendar
(internationally, not just domestically) are we in fact guilty of watering
down the activity levels and participation - the chief cause of complaint on
summary sheets.

There will still be a requirement for domestic events, and for training
events, or quaint / alternative ones, but there is some scope for
rationalisation.   However, as Don XTT said this would be a logistical
nightmare to coordinate the many similar national society events.

Although the IARU are recommending against it, there is a suggestion to go
for mixed mode contests.  Look at the results list for IOTA, EUHFC, ARRL 10m
where some categories allow you to choose single or mixed mode.  If I'm not
mistaken I believe normally the mixed mode is not as well supported as CW,
then SSB.  Overall it does maximise the possible participation from strict
single mode ops, and maximise the QSOs per callsign ratio to 10 or 12.

For the ideas already suggested, most of them would require either be:

1)  Adding new events that people like, and retain existing contests, or
2)  Removing old contests to make way for new contests.

For 1) there are the problems of spreading the support for each event, the
work to administer (despite the advances made, and thanks to those making it
happen - it's not all point and click, near instant results and UBN, for all
except the smallest of our domestic events), and finding a suitable time to
hold it.

For 2) although there are now some more likely candidates than others, each
one does have a purpose and something to make it unique.  That also brings
with it supporters !

We've been around this loop at least couple of times before in the last few
years - with some frustrations that no good seems to come of it.  A large
number of people make some very good valid suggestions for new contest
formats.  But there is no single concensus - if 200 people agreed to exactly
the same format, and agreed to swap it for an existing event, then it may
become a simpler matter.  What we have time and again is a wide variety of
requests to try to fill, balancing that with the wishes of hundreds of
people who do enjoy the events as the are now.

Whilst the suggestions for new contest formats are welcome and are taken on
board, does anyone have any suggestions on:

1) fitting any new contests into the calendar - bearing in mind the need to
consider the existing worldwide programme for any HF contest, and also even
large VHF events in the calendar.   The idea to piggyback existing events
would not be a problem here, as would generating support.

2) finding a contest that could be retired with the support of 75%+ of it's
entrants.  It seems there will be perennial requests for the reinstatement
of the LF Cumulatives and the 7 MHz DX.

Lee G0MTN (retreating to safe distance, and just speaking personally of
course.)