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

[Keith Kerr]

Gerry,
I think this sums it up nicely. Well put.

Given the diversity of geographic locations and variation is propagation, 
this mythical Utopian 'level playing field' is never going to happen, period.

Short of inventing calls or some organised 'only call DA0HQ' ploy ....(all 
speculation. Is there any evidence?) the DL guys have not done anything 
wrong as far as I can see. There may be some understandable patriotism 
though it would be highly regrettable if no-one else got called. If there 
is some queue of DL or SP or whatever hams lined outside a club station or 
worse still, one op calling from a call book then I just wonder about their 
motivation. Sure hope they are proud of their 'win'. Again, is there 
evidence that this actually happens.

The reality is surely that the DL ham population is more motivated and 
contest-minded that many others, perhaps aided by a sense of patriotism and 
the organisation of a national award scheme. Well done them IMHO. As a 
contester I am glad for all the DLs and SPs, OKs and EAs who call in large 
numbers in many contests. Truth is that for whatever reason, a substantial 
proportion of the 60k UK hams are just not interested enough to start 
joining in or, more likely, switch of and go to the allotment when they 
hear 'CQ Contest'. As someone observed recently, just look at the number of 
entries from different countries in CQWW for example. Does contesting get 
more publicity in DL through magazines?

IF this issue requires a solution, surely it should be by adjustment rather 
than banning anything.

I agree that the HQ stations in EU can occupy a large amount of spectrum 
(see K3BU earlier) but most major contests attract big stations which fill 
the bands. Perhaps the M2 or MS option is worth revisiting (vaguely recall 
it used to be like that but maybe not?) but I'm uncomfortable about killing 
activity.

Don't ban same-country QSOs ( country or jurisdiction of National society, 
with the UK in mind? ) but the points differential could be adjusted (and 
as I type this I can hear, and understand, the replies from NA and JA 
regarding distance vs country borders. Maybe we should make states and 
provinces multipliers!!).

Contest activity is A-GOOD-THING. Let's think before we cap it.

Keith GM4YXI



At 09:44 18/07/2006 +0100, Gerard Lynch wrote:

>----- 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."
>
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