[UK-CONTEST] Commonwealth 2004 - Power levels/Sections etc..

[Laurence Mason]

Certainly over the years the playing fields have moved - hence the
introduction of restricted sections to the old 7MHz contest and the 21 /
28. The only problem with too many sections is you end up, at the
limiting condition, with too few entrants in each section. Everyone one
can be a winner.

With CQWW if you are careful / lucky with your choice of section you can
'win' with a very simple effort but really have no one to compare
against - unless there is a record you are gunning for. It is a delicate
balance hence the approach in some events of having fewer tables and
some form of annotation to show particular station differences.

For AFS one of the big differences is where in the country you are
located - ask anyone from GM, the deep South west etc. Whilst at the
start of the contest it is possible to make a contact across the country
it often takes 3 tries to not be beaten to the contact by someone much
nearer the centre of activity. The move to the later start time some
years ago certainly has helped even things out - as has, for me, the
move from SW Devon to Somerset and running 400W. The last hour is still
very useful to help catch up - maybe that's just my poor technique and
nothing to do with the geographical problem!

Laurence

Paul Brice-Stevens wrote:
> 
> Hi Laurence,
> 
> I remember the Equipment code...and I for one used to fill it
> in...however this is palpably different from having different sections
> to enter within the contest...
> 
> When you enter in CQWW you don't just send in a general entry!...No you
> enter it in the section you are competing in...I fail to see that this
> would be any different?...or am I missing something...there was no
> incentive to put the equipment code in as it made no difference to your
> standing in the overall listing...there is no separate section for
> HP/LP/QRP...so equipment codes, apart from a mild sort of interest, had
> no bearing on the situation...
> 
> I understand that the log checking of AFS is an onerous task...however
> people would be entering into different sections and then being listed
> overall as well...this to the uninitiated (although quite happy to help
> with the task) does not seem too different to how it is carried out now.
> 
> Whaddya say?
> 
> 73
> 
> Paul G0WAT
> 
>