[UK-CONTEST] Consultation - NFD

[Mike - GU4EON]

Actually, I think we (GU folk) like being in less demand for a change,

or is that why we get so many DL's calling us?

Although GU is NOT part of the EEC I'd be happy to comply to a  "European"
set of rules as well as times.

GL Dave, this one should get the emails flowing!

73

Mike
GU4EON

On 15/08/06, Dave Lawley <g4buo at compuserve.com> wrote:
>
>
> Discussions have been taking place with a view to getting more European
> countries to participate in CW field day. At the moment only the
> date/time are harmonised, though DARC accept entries from any station,
> not just DL and several Gs now submit their log to DARC as well as RSGB.
> Nothing is cast in concrete yet but essential features of a European CW
> field day are likely to include:
>
> 1. Expanded number of sections including high power, low power, low
> power restricted and QRP
>
> 2. Fixed station section
>
> 3. Scoring system based on country multipliers rather than double points
> on 160/10
>
> 4. Packet cluster permitted (actually permitted in NFD now but without
> multipliers serves no purpose)
>
> HFCC is very keen to see more portables active from a greater number of
> countries but in considering the proposals we are concerned that the
> essential nature of NFD may be lost. While uk-contest membership may not
> represent the full cross-section of UK contesters with an interest in
> NFD now or in the future, this is the best forum we have for gaining
> feedback so please let us have your views.
>
> HFCC's concerns are in a number of areas:
>
> 1. There is no universal rule that every contest must have multipliers.
> The UK scoring scheme is flatter, with less difference between station's
> scores, and it spreads activity out to 160 and 10m.
>
> 2. To compete in a contest using multipliers, stations would have to be
> equipped for packet or telnet.
>
> 3. Multipliers hand an advantage to portables in the rarer countries
> e.g. GJ who would be guaranteed steady streams of callers. Under the
> current rules all UK countries compete on a more equal basis.
>
> 4. Fixed station section makes it too easy if you can't find a site or
> have difficulty with the generator to give up and operate from home.
> Real concern that in a few years most 'field day' stations won't be in a
> field at all.
>
> 5. No need for greatly increased QSO rates when the majority of entrants
> in NFD at the moment don't manage to work all the available stations.
>
> 6. Fixed stations, some using excess power and wide signals, may come to
> dominate making it harder for smaller field day stations to 'run'. They
> will just become QSO fodder for the big boys.
>
> 7. Inspections in the UK have ensured that rules are not flouted.
> Impossible to guarantee adherence to rules in a continent-wide field
> day, could lead to suspicions and resentment.
>
> 8. Real difficulty in agreeing common rules on sections and equipment.
>
> 9. Disparity of licensed power levels
>
> There would be a number of details to be hammered out. If based on DARC
> rules, restricted section height would change from 11m to 15m. Can all
> groups manage this greater height or if not would they lose motivation
> to enter NFD?
>
> The German restricted section specifies one transceiver with no sub-
> receiver, so their leading groups are forced to use TS850 or
> similar. There have been several long and painful discussions about
> second receiver / sub receiver in NFD on uk-contest, do we want to break
> the current concensus?
>
> HFCC's overall responsibility is to RSGB members. Would a change to a
> European set of rules attract more G portables? Might it cause loss of
> support from those groups happier with the current rules?  There is a
> risk we might see UK entry numbers go down, while overall Eu entry goes
> up.
>
> If rules defining sections and antenna height can be agreed, what about
> the option of HFCC continuing to score entries on the same basis as now,
> with the UK listing appearing in Radcom while both the UK and European
> listings go on the web. A while ago in the context of CQWW it was
> suggested there could be a 'contest within a contest' with UK awards
> within the bigger event: applying RSGB rules to a European field day
> would achieve something very similar.
>
> Please could you share your thoughts on the reflector, so that HFCC can
> feed back views to our European partners by 18th August.
>
> Dave G4BUO
> RSGB HF Contests Committee
>
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