[UK-CONTEST] 80m Sprint Contests

[Dave Sergeant]

On 9 Sep 2007 at 21:54, Dave Lawley wrote:

> To address both remarks, the Contest Committee has decided to run two
> Sprint style contests this October. These are 90 minute long, 10 or
> 100 watt, mid-week events, one on CW and one on SSB, in a similar
> format to the existing 80m Club Championship.  The Sprint format
> requires stations to QSY if a contact was solicited on a frequency,
> and means that different skills and operating style are needed
> compared with a traditional contest.

I have mixed views on this. The CC has been a success largely from 
the support of club members who are not regular contesters and who 
just go on to support their local club. This may be a disincentive 
for the casual entrant who probably won't understand the QSY rule and 
is likely to get into trouble if he just goes on regardless.

It may also be a disincentive for the lesser equipped station. Those 
(like me) who largely use SP will have just one chance to call a 
station before he/she QSYs. Of course this applies to everybody so to 
some extent it will even out. But the casual op who calls half a 
dozen stations and doesn't get any of them may well lose interest and 
call it a day.

I confess to have never had a go in the EU sprints, mainly because 
they have no QRP section and personally don't like their format. It 
may work out well, but I would be disappointed if the concept were 
introduced across the whole of the CC events. The SSB event clashes 
with our club meeting night.

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com