[UK-CONTEST] Ropoco

[Clive Whelan]

Ed

I cannot think of a better strategy to kill any contest than to stage it at
0700z on a Sunday morning!
HFCC have been appraised of this fact from comments in the logs I received
as adjudicator a few years back,
but of course change is a C word in their vocabulary, so I'm not holding my
breath, rather standing by to be
a reluctant pall bearer.

The exchange is rather akin to the so-called Internet Sprint on the other
side of the pond, and as you say is an
excellent and refreshing change. Personally, I'd also introduce penalties
for inaccuracy. How about 20 lashes for
each incorrect digit, or would ten be better to start with?

As you say two hours is too long for present activity. I  believe a
mid-morning or mid-afternoon slot might
double activity. Of course the English midlands will always prevail a la
AFS. Oh, OK HFCC I'll shut up now.

I have worked quite a few Gx6 and Gx8s as well as not a few 2E0s, good ops
nearly all, and wonder why they languish(ed) where they were/are.
I have worked a singleton M3, which may say a whole lot about the foundation
licence. Oh, is that fair? I only work CW.

There IS life in this contest Ed, but not as we know it, and it MUST change
to survive. Oh, sorry there I go again.


73


Clive
GW3NJW

Oh yes, I made a massive 20 odd QSOs in the last half hour.

-----Original Message-----
From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Ed - G3SQX
Sent: 08 August 2006 15:40
To: uk-contest at contesting.com
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Ropoco



Nobody has commented on the reflector about Ropoco last weekend, so here's
my tuppence-worth.  I was on from the new QTH, near Newport in South Wales,
making 60 QSOs.


GOOD POINTS:

== Only 2 hours long,
== Worked some people who have never done the Morse test
          (a GM8, for example)
== Still a test of accuracy rather than speed
== One or two straight keys (early G3 folks, if I remember rightly) --
           presumably trying the contest out.
== Err, that's it

BAD POINTS:

== Nowhere near enough people on
== Mostly usual suspects, but in short supply
== Poor turn-out from HFCC
== Seem to have worked everybody about half an hour before the end.


Surely this is another RSGB contest in its death throes.  Can it be revived?
Maybe -- and if you've got the stamina, you could read the posting below
from me in 2002.  Most points still true, but it's surely now touch and go
whether the contest should just be quietly put to sleep.  What is the
justification for putting the effort into two events which attract under 100
participants, rather than using the energy more usefully elsewhere?

73,

Ed, G(w)3SQX


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed Taylor, G3SQX"
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2002 10:58 AM
Subject: RoPoCo


>
>
> Another RoPoCo, 62 QSOs from GU3SQX, and it was much the same as the last
> one!
>
> The contest suffers from the usual RSGB contest phenomenon -- usual
> suspects, mostly grey-beards like me, and not really enough of us any more
> (rate low at the end).  However, it's a good way to spend a couple of
> hours,
> and could be modified to serve two useful purposes --
> (1) More contest visibility in G-land; and
> (2) Get more newly-licensed people on the air.
>
> How to do this?  Make the April Ropoco next year into a phone contest, 80m
> (3600-3750), same format, power limit 50 watts.  Yes, I mean it.  Allow
> multi-op, and encourage every M3 you can find to get on with a bent dipole
> (ie, pull down those half-sized G5RVs).  Everyone should be encouraged to
> either go on for the contest, or invite an M3 or two to visit and share
> the
> operating.
>
> Let's try to get a few folks interested who've never even heard of
> contesting.  I know it's not CQWW, and you may say it's not a real
> contest,
> but it's good fun, and everyone can understand the concept immediately.
> Anyone can get on 80m, and maybe one or two will become interested in
> entering more heavy-duty events.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> 73,
>
> Ed, G3SQX
>
>
>
>


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