[UK-CONTEST] RSGB HFCC CONTESTS

[Andy Hewitt]

I don't want to get embroiled in the CW Skimmer debate as now that it has
been invented, just like the THE BOMB, it cannot be uninvented and is bound
to be developed further and it will soon be a matter for contest organisers
to arrange the rules so that we can live with it. In our local club Newbury
and District we have at least one member who cannot read or send Morse but
is participating in the HFCC cw contests and getting us some points with
Skimmer. However my reason for writing was the question that was asked "have
these contests outlived their usefulness?".

It depend what the reason was, certainly they have generated more interest
in contesting and encouraged some to learn or improve their cw ability. I
don't think they would be as successful if they were run on weekends. Most
weekends have other international contests running anyhow and as for me I
can almost always get away for 90minutes on one evening per week. At
weekends mostly I have some family commitment or other to attend to. 

I would like to see this idea developed further and perhaps, as the solar
cycle advances be applied to the higher frequency bands. Could we not have
less 80m events (to keep the DLs and SSTVers happy!) and have, say, one a
month on one different mode per month on 20/15/10? With basically the same
rules and power levels. Perhaps also limiting us to wire antennas?

I throw this into the ring to be discounted, discussed or whatever.
73
Andy G3SVD