[UK-CONTEST] IARU Contest: Level playing-field?

[Gerard Lynch]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Contesting" <contesting at m5aav.org.uk>

> And I trust that this information has been passed on to the Contest
> Organisers ?

Not only has it been 'passed on' to the contest organisers, but DA0HQ and 
SN0HQ have both been commended in the official results for encouraging such 
wide participation from their national amateurs.

> Perhaps it is time that QSO's with ones own Country were not counted ?

I know this is going to make me as popular as catching crabs, but I don't 
agree (and don't see what DA0HQ have done wrong, actually).

Every contest has a set of rules, and every contest, with the arguable 
exception of WRTC, is *not* a level playing field.  Every one has distinct 
geographical advantages and disadvantages.  In pretty much any contest, I 
could go back to my parents' house in Belfast, string a doublet from their 
roof to the one of the guy behind us, and score more points than I can with 
my 100 Watts and doublet does in London.

Even better, I can jump on a plane to Bodrum, operate as TA3/G0RTN and get 
an even bigger score.

All DA0HQ has done is exploit those advantages in the rules (unique 
advantages, given that Germany is totally impossible to win anything from, 
even Eu, in any other contest).

So, let's say we get rid of in-country QSOs.  What happens then?  Well, 
no-one can beat R9HQ because those crafty Russians have contrived to have a 
continental boundary running through their country and can work gazillions 
of Eus on 80 for 5 points a go.  Or URE will twig that if they set up shop 
in the Canaries, they're in five point heaven.  So then, everyone will start 
whingeing about how unfair it is that no-one can beat them.

Just look at the CQ-Contest reflector after CQ WW - full of people from Ohio 
and Arkansas moaning about how biased the contest rules are towards the East 
Coast (and inaccurately moaning about how Europeans can work each other for 
2 points a go on 80 when they only live in the next street).  If it's that 
big a deal, move to Massachussets.  Or Germany.

Every contest has an in built geographical bias.  Move to point per 
kilometre scoring for big HF contests (which some moot as 'fairer') and then 
ZD8 or LU will be the unbeatable places, and big contest groups will be 
eyeing up real estate in the Falklands.

I think the total amateur population in DL is around 80,000 versus around 
60,000 here (correct me if I'm wrong), and the population is also ~80M:60M. 
But the number of QSOs you make in *any* operating event is significantly 
higher in favour of DL than this 4:3 ratio.  Very simply, Germany produces 
more active amateurs than the UK does, and gets more of them to work its HQ 
station in the IARU contest.

I'd rather discuss how we can close that gap, and close the points gap in 
other ways than moan about how "we wuz robbed (by those crafty furriners)". 
I don't think the gap *in points terms* is uncloseable on the current 
figures.

And one final thought - ARRL, JARL and CRSA always put on a big effort for 
this contest even though there's no way you can even come close to winning 
it from the States or the Far East.  I think that's what we call ham spirit, 
isn't it?

73

Gerry G0RTN
Vanity Page at http://www.gerrylynch.co.uk
"In days of old, when ops were bold, and sidebands not invented,
The word would pass, by pounding brass, and all were well contented."